


The Strange One

by Sheogorath



Series: RL Sheogorath [1]
Category: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: AR, Adventure, Autism, Cyrodiil, Dark Brotherhood - Freeform, Humour, M/M, Shivering Isles, Slash, biography, chan (17)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-11-26 22:20:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 39
Words: 58,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/655012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheogorath/pseuds/Sheogorath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Autistic gamer gets sucked into his copy of TESIV: Oblivion, or does he? Rated Mature for swears in Al Bhed as well as certain events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Capture

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even consider the sex in this story to be underage because in Walks-in-Shadows' country of residence, the age of consent is 16. However, you'll notice I put a warning, and that's because this website is hosted in the US, where the age of consent is 18 across much of the country.

# Prologue: Capture.

It was a frosty, almost moonless night as Lucien Lachance, dressed in his customary black robes and hood, was crossing the northernmost bridge in Cheydinhal on his way to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary when something seemed to stop him in his tracks. An Argonian was sitting on the railing of the bridge and singing cheerfully.

The Argonian was dressed nondescriptly enough in black wide pants with a rough leather cuirass and rough leather boots, but it was his face that gave Lucien his second pause. Almost completely black, with a wide crimson band running from temple to temple except where more black surrounded the eyes, it was umbric enough to speak of Daedric interference of some kind. It was not this, however, that had caused the Dark Brotherhood Speaker to halt so suddenly, it was what the Argonian was singing. While parts of the melody were bright and lilting like that of a children's song, the lyrics were of a clearly darker origin:

"Don't set store by a Sanguivore  
He will hypnotise you till you start to snore  
Then his health he'll keep (Just because it's cheap)  
By feeding on your lifeblood while you're deep in sleep  
Don't set store by a Sanguivore  
They are infamous in Tamrielic Lore  
Lord Imbel, Seridur, and Janus Hassildor  
You should never set store by any Sanguivore

You may be a quite friendly guy  
Who thinks no one would tell him lies  
But those sanguivores wear disguise  
So they can feed from you on the sly  
For instance:

Don't set store by a Sanguivore  
He will hypnotise you till you start to snore  
Then his health he'll keep (Just because it's cheap)  
By feeding on your lifeblood while you're deep in sleep  
Don't set store by a Sanguivore  
They are infamous in Tamrielic Lore  
Vicente, Seridur, and Rona Hassildor  
You should never set store by any Sanguivore"

While Lucien had never heard the word 'sanguivore' before, it was close enough to the words 'sanguine' and 'omnivore' for him to guess at its meaning: blood eater. And the description of the sanguivores' habits and the infamy in Tamrielic lore the reptilian humanoid was singing about made it very clear that the song was describing Cyrodiilic vampires. Of which one of the Dark Brotherhood Executioners, Vicente Valtieri, was one. The Vicente mentioned in the song? The Speaker was not about to take any chances.

The Argonian had started again and was up to the word 'hypnotise' when the Paralysis spell hit him, rendering him helpless as he crumpled and fell to the floor of the bridge. He tried to call out for the guards, but could only get a gurgling groan past his frozen vocal chords. He heard a deep, cultured voice purring, "I would like to know how you came by your knowledge," and then the world went utterly black as he passed out with the shock of trauma.

"Well," said Lucien, disgustedly, "if other Argonians are as weak as all that..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Cyrodiilic Vampires'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for any purpose except large scale distribution subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved.  
> (Adapted from 'Never Smile at a Crocodile'; Public Domain.


	2. Meeting Vicente

# Chapter One: Meeting Vicente.

It was an hour later when the Argonian finally returned to consciousness, lying on a bed with other beds nearby, and the room he was in being reminiscent of one in a castle of some kind. His boots had been removed. As he took in these details, he simply lay as still as he could, moving nothing but his eyes.

"The spell wore off a few minutes after I cast it," said the mellifluous voice he remembered from before he had blacked out. "You're no longer paralysed."

The Argonian hissed as he reflexively dived off the bed and attempted to get under it, but it was too low to the floor. Instead, he settled for hiding behind it before stating, "I wasn't looking for you, Lucien Lachance."

"How do you know my name?" demanded Lucien.

"Too long of a story," the Argonian replied.

"What else do you know?" a new voice asked, this one of a higher timbre than the first.

The Argonian visibly relaxed and smiled at the Breton vampire who was dressed in a dark shirt and black wide pants with leather boots and a gold amulet, and who didn't look as old as the reptilian humanoid had expected. Then he replied, "I know you, Vicente Valtieri. But first, tell me, what am I?"

"What do you mean, 'what are you'?" the other two asked simultaneousy.

"Well, I can feel that I have a tail," the reptilian humanoid responded. "That means either Khajiit or Argonian. Then when I look down, I can see that my hands and feet have scales and claws, and my tail is scaly too. Also, my voice has a tendency towards sibilance. So am I hallucinating, or am I truly an Argonian?"

Lucien stepped forward and the Argonian hissed as he watched him warily, ready to leap back again if necessary. Vicente gave some kind of signal which caused the Speaker to resume his former position, then addressed the beastman directly.

"May _I_ approach you?" he asked politely. He had not failed to notice that the Argonian had seemed to be glad to see him a few moments earlier while remaining fearful of Lucien, probably as a result of the Paralysis spell that had been cast on him by the Dark Brotherhood Speaker at the bridge near the Great Chapel of Arkay.

"Yeah, sure thing."

"Does that mean yes?"

"Of course."

The vampire asked the Argonian to undress down to his loincloth, then began a minute examination.

"Well," he said at last, "without making you strip completely naked, I can tell you that you're entirely Argonian. Why did you think that you're not?"

"Because where I came here from, I look more like the scary dude there," the reptilian humanoid said, indicating Lucien. The Imperial snorted in disbelief, not least because he imagined that a vampire would be scarier than himself.

"It's true," the apparent Black Marsh denizen insisted. "Admittedly, my eyes were blue, and my hair was dark brown and short so I didn't look _quite_ like the Speaker, but I _did_ look like an Imperial with just a touch of Nord. Not that you've got any Nord in you, Lucien. More like Breton with a name like yours. May I see what I look like now? The ice covering the stream that I was sat above isn't exactly reflective, you know."

"Of course, do forgive me," Vicente replied, fetching a large panel of highly polished bronze from the wall near the other end of the row of beds. He was starting to believe the strange Argonian's story because of a number of things. First, there was the reptilian humanoid's knowledge of the Dark Brotherhood's Executioner and Speaker despite his not having been inducted into the organisation of assassins. And there was also his strange speech pattern and vocabulary, neither of which Vicente had ever heard before in all his travels throughout the Tamrielic Empire. Not to mention the beastman's unusual habits, one of which was to make sweeping movements on his head with his hands as though tucking non-existent hair under an equally non-existent cap.

Lucien quietly left the room while the umbric Argonian was busy studying his face and orange eyes with vertical slits for pupils. He also scrutinised his body, limbs, and broad tail, which were black with red highlights wherever the light caught them. He seemed to be particularly fascinated with the single, high, spiny, fin-like crest that ran like a crimson blaze along the centre of his head from the forehead to the nape of his neck; the short crimson fin that ran the length of his tail; and his long tongue, which was broad at the back of his mouth, then narrowed along its length to end in a point at the front.

"So, what's your name?" Vicente asked him. There was a long pause. "You can call me Walks-in-Shadows," the Argonian replied at last. "It ain't my true name, but it'll do."

"Fitting," the vampire responded dryly. "Do you know how you ended up in Cheydinhal?"

"No idea," stated Walks-in-Shadows. "All I _do_ know is that I went to sleep as a human, in my own bed, in my own home, and when I woke up, I was in a strange bed, as an Argonian, in the Newlands Lodge. I had to quickly grab what clothes I could see and sneak out because I didn't know if the ten Septims necessary for my stay had been paid or not."

"Then how do you know the price of a night at an inn?"

"Again, that's a long story."

Vicente decided to change the nature of his questions. "Lucien told me that you were singing a song about me when he met you," he stated. "What was it?"

"When he paralysed me, you mean. Anyroad, he can tell you, I'm sure." Walks-in-Shadows suddenly noticed the absence of the Speaker. "Hey, where'd he go?"

"Even Speakers sometimes have contracts to fulfil. Anyway, I'd like to hear it sung, and Lucien is not known for his singing voice."

"Neither are Argonians, come to that."

"True. But you can apparently hold a tune, which Lucien cannot. Also, your voice is most unlike that of other Argonians. Please, sing your song for me."

So Walks-in-Shadows sang the song again, and once he had finished, Vicente asked, " _Is_ the Vicente in your song myself?"

"Yeah."

"And is the Janus Hassildor you mention the one I think he is?"

"The Count of Skingrad? Oh, yeah." The Argonian smirked as he finished, "I have no need of rumours to tell me _that_."

"And Seridur?"

"A dude who lives in the Temple District of the Imperial City. Typical, arrogant Altmer. He's in charge of the Order of the Virtuous Blood, which hunts vampires. The irony's really delicious!"

Vicente smiled. While it was obvious that Walks-in-Shadows had a lot of arcane knowledge, it had been clear from the beginning that he also had a vocabulary to match and knew how to use it.

"How do you know who's a vampire and who isn't?"

"That's part of the story that's too long to tell. Maybe I'll write a book about it one day, then you'll know what I can't yet tell you."

"Do you think you'll be here that long?"

"I truly don't know, but anything's possible if I'm here, ain't it?"

"So why _were_ you singing that song?"

"Just was. Bored, I guess. I hadn't anything better to do, so I sat on the bridge railing and sang."

All this time, Walks-in-Shadows had been getting back into his clothes and armour.

"And what are you going to do now?"

"What are your prisoners normally allowed to do?"

"Well, since you've answered most of my questions to my satisfaction, you're no longer my prisoner."

"Mega! Then I'll go to the Imperial City and try to get in here the usual way."

"Wait, I'll have to let you out."

Vicente beckoned Walks-in-Shadows to follow him, then left the living quarters and strode to the door of the Sanctuary. As the two approached, the door spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"What is the colour of night?" it asked.

Vicente was about to answer when a voice beside him responded, "Sanguine, my Brother."

The vampire was about to ask how Walks-in-Shadows knew that, but gave it up as a lost cause almost immediately. He knew what the answer was likely to be. He said instead, "One more thing; please don't sing your song anymore."

The Argonian responded cheekily, "Which one? I've written several." Then he relented and said, "Okay, but only 'cos you asked me so politely. See you soon!" he added as he went through the door.

Vicente shook his head, smiling. He didn't think he would ever see Walks-in-Shadows again, and it had been nice to be treated just like everyone else for a change. He would miss the unusual Argonian who had just taken up just over an hour of his time, he really would.


	3. Making Preparations

# Chapter Two: Making Preparations.

As Walks-in-Shadows emerged from the basement of the Abandoned House, he went through his pockets and smiled.

'If I can steal from a vampire in the Dark Brotherhood so easily, life in Cyrodiil's gonna be a breeze,' he thought as he hung the gold amulet from the handle of the basement door.

It wasn't like he had actually wanted it, he'd only wanted to prove to himself that he could use the skills that had helped to keep him in Septims when the Tamrielic Empire had just been part of a series of games. What he wouldn't be giving back to Vicente, however, was the money that he'd also taken as the Dark Brotherhood Executioner had escorted him to the door of the Sanctuary. That would buy him the tools also necessary to survive here; food, alchemy equipment, weapons, lockpicks, and repair hammers. After briefly popping upstairs to pick up a valuable book he could sell that he knew would be there, the dark Argonian finally left through the front door. Once he'd waited for the shops to open, during which time he quietly hummed scraps of various melodies, he was haggling for a good price to sell the volume at in Mach-Na's Books. The dickering went back and forth until a sum was reached that both Argonians were happy with, then Walks-in-Shadows left for The March Rider, the blacksmith's just a few yards away.

To say that Tertia Viducia was astonished at the darkness of the scales of the Argonian who entered her shop would be very much an understatement. However, she managed to treat him in an identical manner to all her other potential customers. There was no telling _who_ he might be, just like the scruffy female Bosmer who had turned out to be the Champion of Cyrodiil. So she treated the dark Argonian with the same equableness that she did everyone else. It was now Walks-in-Shadows' turn to be amazed. Up until now, everyone had treated him with surprise, if not outright suspicion, because of his dark colouration, which was highly unusual and had never before been seen in all of Tamriel. However, he had business to attend to as rapidly as possible if he was to get back inside the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary within the next sevenday.

After they had greeted each other, the umbric Argonian asked Tertia what day and month it was.

"It's a fine Loredas in Sun's Dusk," the smith replied. "Why didn't you know?"

Walks-in-Shadows thought for a moment, then responded, "I've been sick for a long time. Trapped in a waking dream."

This wasn't actually the truth, but it was how his life had felt up to the point that he had awakened in the Newlands Lodge. Also, if he _didn't_ 'wake up', his life might quickly be over. He wasn't on the safe side of a games controller this time, he was right _in_ the game. If he got killed by a wolf or a marauder, there was no reloading and no guarantee that he would wake up back in his own world, if at all.

Tertia asked, "But didn't anyone bother to tell you what day it is when you woke up?"

"I didn't think to ask," the reptilian humanoid replied honestly. How could he have forgotten something so basic as to ask what day it was?

"Well, if there's anything else you need to know, you can ask me."

"Sure, thanks. Hey, you got these items?"

Walks-in-Shadows bartered for a shortsword, a bow, arrows, and two large oilskin satchels, each enchanted with a Feather spell, in which to carry his items, remembering to conserve some money for the things that he would have to buy elsewhere. He knew that he could get the same items, of better quality and for free, in forts and other places, but he was on a mission and time was of the essence. Next stop, the Cheydinhal Chapter of the Mages Guild.

At the Mages Guild, everyone stopped what they were doing to gaze wide-eyed at Walks-in-Shadows. Of course, he had become so used to it by now that he didn't even notice. He did, however, observe the Chapter head, a female Argonian named Deetsan, smiling at him with an expression in her eyes that the dark Argonian couldn't decipher. Since he didn't know how to ask Deetsan why she didn't seem to be shocked by his appearance, Walks-in-Shadows instead directed his attention to buying a mortar and pestle from Eilonwy, a female Altmer. They would be enough to make a few basic potions with until he had enough experience to use more equipment. Plus, he knew he couldn't use the full set while he was on the move, not with the hurry that he was in. Once he had bought the alchemy equipment, the reptilian humanoid realised that he hadn't much money left. Certainly not enough to buy food _and_ lockpicks, and he had forgotten to buy repair hammers from the blacksmith earlier. It was time to try something which he wasn't sure would work; rifling through the various containers around Cheydinhal.

Starting at the west side of the town, Walks-in-Shadows, in full view of several people, systematically went through all the barrels, crates, and sacks that were against the walls of several of the buildings, taking whatever stuff he deemed useful. As he finished and no guards came to arrest him, it became apparent that items and containers in the open obviously had a common ownership, since there couldn't possibly be any coding conferring right of possession on the umbric Argonian alone. He would just have to be careful to either have his things with him at all times or leave them in locked containers, that was all.

Walks-in-Shadows sought out the empty piece of ground behind the Fighters and Mages Guilds where he took off his satchels, emptied them onto the ground, then sorted through everything he now owned. On top of the black wide pants and rough leather armour that he wore, he had a fine iron shortsword, a fine iron bow, fifty steel arrows (which he would have to do his best to conserve), the quiver that the arrows had come in, a mortar and pestle, greaves, gauntlets, a helmet, and a shield all made of rough leather, a pair of rugged breeches, a pair of green felt linens, a dark shirt, a dark green shirt, a shirt with suspenders, and a coarse linen shirt that he decided to use for sleeping in. He had also managed to get several bread rolls, some wheels of cheese, a variety of different meats, many different fruits and vegetables, various potions, twelve repair hammers, fifty-six lockpicks, and a bedroll, as well as his enchanted satchels.

Taking off his black wide pants, the dark Argonian folded them up and packed them away with the rest of his items, apart from his armour and weapons, which he equipped along with his satchels once he had finished. After this, he walked back to the Mages Guild and spoke to Deetsan about joining. As soon as his membership had been confirmed, he went upstairs to the nearest bed, stripped down to his loincloth and donned his coarse linen shirt, then lay on his side under the covers. After a while of tossing and turning, he grabbed his satchels and armour, placing them on top of the covers at his back.

"Guess I'm still Autistic," he murmured to himself before, finally comfortable, he crashed into an exhausted slumber.


	4. Discussing the Prisoner

# Chapter Three: Discussing The Prisoner.

Four hours of dreamless sleep later, Walks-in-Shadows woke up refreshed and alert. He got dressed in his armour and equipped himself with his gear, then went downstairs, bade the mages farewell, and exited the Guild, though not before spending the last of his money on one more thing. As he left Cheydinhal through the West Gate, humming the tune of 'Cyrodiilic Vampires' (he had technically only promised not to sing the lyrics), he had no way of knowing that Lucien Lachance was, at that very moment, entering the town by the gate to the east.

After the completion of his contract, of which just the travelling had taken several hours, the Dark Brotherhood Speaker had gone to his home, Fort Farragut, rather than returning directly to the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, as he had run out of poisoned apples and needed to replenish his stock. Once he had ensured that his black mare, Shadowmere, was still safely hobbled, Lucien had set off to the town on foot. He was looking forward to getting some answers from a certain Argonian, and he had plenty of methods for gaining them. His particular favourite was covering the eyes and ears, or tympanic membranes, of the interrogatees before placing them in a pool of water that was held at a constant blood temperature in a lightless and soundproofed room which had baffling on every surface to absorb sound and prevent echoes. Lucien had heard of Speakers who used Lightning or even Flame spells in order to extract the answers they sought, but he had always found such methods to be crude and thuggish, as well as being ineffectual because of those being questioned frequently dying before any useful information could be gained from them as a result of such treatment.

The Speaker, still deep in thought, absent-mindedly unlocked the well that was the secret entrance to the Sanctuary, climbed down the ladder inside, then headed straight for the living quarters. He went through the door, strode down the short passageway, turned the corner to look towards the beds, and saw... nothing but beds. Maybe Vicente was talking to the prisoner somewhere. He would have to be sought out. Sighing with frustration, Lucien left the living quarters once more, then rapidly walked down the passageway past Ocheeva's room, and then down the steps until he had reached the vampire's chamber on the deepest level of the Sanctuary, whereupon he knocked on the door and called out, "Vicente?"

"I'm in, Brother," came the reply.

Lucien entered the room, but Vicente was sat on his own at his table, reading a book, and no one else was with him.

"Where is he, dear Brother?" the Speaker asked, obliquely.

"To whom do you refer?" Vicente enquired.

"My prisoner," Lucien coldly and calmly said, his tone dangerous.

Vicente's voice held an equal level of threat as he responded, "You didn't say that he was your prisoner alone, Brother. After I questioned him and judged him to be of no danger to either this Sanctuary or myself, I released him."

"I didn't give you the authority to release him, there are still unanswered questions!"

"You didn't deny me the authority, either. And might I remind you that as the largest peril he posed was to myself and my kind, any authority was mine more than yours. I released the Argonian, and before he left, obtained his promise that he wouldn't sing his song anymore. Perhaps he'll also realise that any other secrets he may hold as a result of his arcane knowledge should not be so casually released. He seemed to be bright enough to _me_ , Brother."

"How long did you spend with him after I left?"

"About three quarters of an hour, I should say."

"An hour is not a lot of time to judge somebody."

"As a vampire, my perceptions are faster and sharper than even those of the beast races, Brother. Or perhaps you have forgotten that."

Lucien had, so he admitted the fact and sought Vicente's forgiveness, which the Executioner readily gave. The Breton vampire and the Imperial said their farewells, then Lucien Lachance started back towards Fort Farragut. And although there was no apparent change in his expression or demeanour, his stride was definitely less rapid than it had been when he was walking _from_ the East Gate.

* * *

Once the Dark Brotherhood Speaker had reached his destination, he went through the door and traversed the passageways towards the single chamber that he inhabited. As he passed each of the several Dark Guardians patrolling the hallways, they stopped to let him pass, then resumed their rounds, single-mindedly guarding the security and well-being of their master, whose head was brimming with thoughts of where the Argonian that he wished to speak to might have gone and what could be done to locate him. Then he sighed and gave it up. As a Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood, his duties would likely keep him too busy to be doing any seeking of Argonians. Lucien would just have to hope that Vicente was right about the reptilian humanoid that had been taken captive. But if any of the Dark Brotherhood's secrets got further than Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal, Lucien would have a contract for which he would require no payment.

The Speaker left the bag that he had been packing and returned along the musty, dank corridors of his home to the clear air outside. Once there, he walked towards Shadowmere, then stopped as he saw the note which had been tied to her stirrup leather with a piece of string. Since he knew from whom it had likely been sent, Lucien did not hesitate to untie and open it at once, discovering that his supposition was correct.

The note read: 'Speaker Lachance, a new potential recruit for the Dark Brotherhood has been observed, so make for the Imperial City with all due haste. This candidate is making his way from there to Cheydinhal, and will likely spend some time at the abandoned cabin of Roland Jenseric.  
'One word of caution, however; the one whom you are to meet seemed to commit his murder deliberately, rather than accidentally or in self-defence. Therefore, he may not hesitate to cold-bloodedly strike at you, and will definitely not be in shock as most Brotherhood candidates are.

'Ungolim, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood.'

Lucien smiled as he unhobbled Shadowmere, then mounted her and rode back in the direction of Cheydinhal and on towards the Imperial City. If the new candidate _did_ attack him, he would have little trouble in defending himself. However, as the Speaker knew from experience, it was more likely that this potential recruit would actually be _glad_ to see him.

And as he urged his black mare into a gallop towards the place assigned for the meeting, Lucien's smile only grew wider.


	5. Avenging a Murder

# Chapter Four: Avenging a Murder.

After four hours of alternately walking and running, Walks-in-Shadows finally reached the Temple District of the Imperial City. Once he had entered through the gate from the Talos Plaza District, he took his bearings from a book of maps which he'd discovered in a barrel outside the Wawnet Inn before crossing the bridge to the Imperial City proper. He'd been quite pleased with his new acquisition as it contained not only a map of the whole of Cyrodiil with all of the various towns and cities already marked upon it, but also had maps of the layout of those places, as well as a large number of blank pages on which to create his own maps of any other places he might subsequently come across. When he had located the place that he was looking for, Walks-in-Shadows set off towards it.

Walking down the street, going to the right around the partially destroyed Temple with the towering dragon statue inside it, then turning left at the gate to the Imperial City Waterfront and down the narrow lane there, Walks-in-Shadows quickly reached his destination, Seridur's House.

He knocked upon the door, and when it was opened, enquired, "Excuse me, I wondered if your master is at home and receiving visitors today?" He didn't normally speak with such formality, but since he didn't want the Dunmer who had answered the door to remember him, he made a special effort to speak more like others in Cyrodiil. He'd also removed all of his armour and other equipment apart from his boots, and donned his dark green shirt and green felt linens. The clothing wouldn't exactly make him look like the kind of person who would be calling on an Altmer who could afford to employ a Dunmer as a personal guard cum butler, but it _would_ disguise him sufficiently well for this information gathering exercise.

"My master _is_ at home, but is not currently receiving visitors. He will be travelling later this evening," the Dunmer replied. "My name is Cylben Dolovas. May _I_ help you instead?"

"If you would please inform your master that I will instead call upon him tomorrow at two o' clock precisely, that will be sufficient," said the umbric Argonian.

Walks-in-Shadows hadn't actually planned on returning to the house at all, but it might help to make him appear innocent if he acted like he expected to be able to visit Seridur at any time after today. He watched the door of the house close, then turned from it, walked to a well which was at the left side of the house, concealed himself behind it, and then prepared to wait, changing back into his leather armour and re-equipping himself as he did so. In the event, he didn't have to wait very long, as Seridur himself emerged from his house just a few minutes later. After fussing with his clothing, which was already perfectly arranged, the Altmer turned to his right and set off. As he walked past the well on his right side, Walks-in-Shadows saw him. The Argonian allowed the Altmer to gain a slight lead, then started to follow. He was pretty sure that he knew where Seridur was heading, but there was no harm in being certain.

Walks-in-Shadows trailed Seridur through the gate of the Temple District to the Talos Plaza District, and then through the gate to the City Isle. The two humanoids, Altmer and Argonian, passed the Chestnut Handy Stables on their right and crossed the bridge, then Seridur turned to the left, placing the Wawnet Inn behind him, and began walking southwards on the Red Ring Road, Walks-in-Shadows following closely behind while being careful not to be caught by the subject of his tail. Seridur strolled almost leisurely along the Red Ring Road as it led around the land outside of the City Isle, first to the south, then to the east, then up again to the north. After an hour of walking, Walks-in-Shadows wondered why the Altmer hadn't simply hired a horse from the Chestnut Handy Stables as he had passed them, then realised that either the owner of the stables would ask too many questions about a horse being kept out all night, or Seridur had simply not wished to spend the money on hire fees.

Once Seridur reached a point of the road that was across from the Arcane University, he started to walk in the direction of the City Isle upon which it stood. It was at this point that a wolf caught Walks-in-Shadows' scent and rushed to attack him as Seridur continued on his way. The Argonian unsheathed his shortsword, cursing, and defended himself. It wasn't as hard a fight as he had expected because he had been able to turn some of his in-game skills into real-life actions, but it had taken more time than he had hoped. By the time he had killed the wolf and could go in the direction that Seridur had taken, the Altmer was nowhere to be seen.

Walks-in-Shadows swore, "Vilgehk ramm!" took out his bedroll, and spread it out in a position behind some rocks away from the cave entrance. He knew that Seridur would be several hours in Memorial Cave, the cave outside of which the reptilian humanoid would now be sleeping. He would have to sleep in his armour, but before he settled himself for the night, he unequipped his weapons, and took off his gauntlets, helmet, and boots. Helmets were never designed with Argonians in mind, so Walks-in-Shadows knew that if he left his on, it would hold his crest to his head all night, which would cause extreme discomfort because of the compression lasting longer than he could bear. He arranged his things around him, placing his weapons close at hand, then lay down and went to sleep. Hopefully, he would be able to wake before dawn.

* * *

Several hours passed, then Walks-in-Shadows woke up, blinked for a second, and started. Why was it dark? Then he recalled what he was here for and relaxed. If it was still dark, then it obviously wasn't yet dawn and he had plenty of time before Seridur was due to leave Memorial Cave. While the dark Argonian realised that he could simply have followed the Altmer inside, he also knew how likely it was to be highly dangerous. After all, he owned only a couple of Chameleon potions, and he wished to save those for other purposes. Instead, he decided to look for dead vegetation that could form the basis of a fire. After he had found sufficient dead grass and leaves with which to kindle a pyre, Walks-in-Shadows re-equipped himself once more, this time leaving his rough leather helmet off. He shouldn't need it for what he was going to do, and the more time it was off, the more time before it again caused him aggravation.

Walks-in-Shadows had now been up for he didn't know how long, and the work he'd done so far had woken him up some more so that he was now as alert as he could be. He positioned himself behind some rocks near the mouth of the cave so that no one who emerged from it would see him although he could still see them, then took his bow and an arrow from his quiver, stringing the bow and nocking the arrow so that he would be ready when the time came. After he had prepared himself, the dark Argonian had to wait almost half an hour before he saw the Altmer this time around. A few times while he waited, he sang:

"Oh, it's bad luck to be you  
Don't think for just a second it's not true  
When your life has run amuck  
You will see that _you're_ the schmuck  
Oh, it's bad luck to be  
Really bad luck to be  
Nobody could disagree  
It's a freakin' guarantee  
It's bad luck to be you  
Diddly doo"

Because Walks-in-Shadows had such a fine sense of irony, he'd sung that part of the song from The Bard's Tale because it was very fitting, given the situation, and it made him chuckle wryly. It was after the umpteenth repetition of the simple chorus that he saw Seridur leave the cave. He drew the bowstring taut as the Altmer passed within inches of him, then let the arrow fly at the back of the High Elf's head. The arrow struck, causing Seridur to stop in his tracks, and Walks-in-Shadows dropped his bow and drew his shortsword, preparing to battle for his life, but just then, the Altmer's body dropped to the ground. Seridur was safely in the Void.

The Argonian resheathed his sword, picked up and put away his bow, then went over to the body and dragged it to the place he had spent the night. He placed it on the bedroll with one arm draped over its head, hiding the arrow so the corpse looked like it was merely sleeping, then emptied his satchels and set off in search of some dead branches for the pyre he was going to build. He didn't have to search as far as he had thought he would, as there were some trees fairly nearby that he hadn't seen in the pre-dawn darkness when he had sought kindling. After finding sufficient wood for his needs, Walks-in-Shadows walked back to his campsite and sought a clear spot, where he laid the kindling before carefully positioning the wood on top of it. He went over to his bedroll and removed the arrow from the Altmer corpse's head, cleaning it on the sand of the shore of Lake Rumare and putting it back into his quiver, then stripped the body of everything and carelessly placed the items with his other things. He would go through them properly later, but right now, he still had a job to do.

With the body now naked, the umbric Argonian picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, then carried it over to the fire and placed it on top. He lit the fire with a simple Fireball spell that he had purchased the training in from Trayvond the Redguard, who actually _was_ a Redguard, of the Cheydinhal Mages Guild, then went to the things he'd taken from the Altmer corpse that was now burning. Walks-in-Shadows picked through the items, carefully folding or arranging each thing as he picked it up. There was a chainmail cuirass, a blue velvet doublet, a blue velvet garment, blue suede shoes, a gold amulet, a gold emerald ring, and a gold ruby ring. There were also a few Chameleon scrolls, a hundred and fifty-eight Septims, and a bottle of Cyrodiilic brandy. The Argonian was pleased about the money, the scrolls, and the alcohol, of course, but he was even more delighted about the jewellery, which he could enchant with any spell once he knew how, or even sell for a lot of money if he really had to.

With some mutton, lettuce, and one of the bread rolls, Walks-in-Shadows made himself a sandwich. This was rather a risk because he had gluten and dairy intolerances back in his own world, but he was very hungry by now, not having eaten since he had woken up at the Newlands Lodge, and he thought he might as well see whether or not his new body had the same digestive problems as his old one. He gratefully opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the sandwich, biting off a large mouthful, then sighed in satisfaction as he chewed. It had been a _very_ long time since he had eaten edible bread that didn't fall apart on being handled.

The dark Argonian quickly polished off his meal in this manner, then having finished, decided to try something he'd had in his mind since he'd discovered what a long, flexible tongue he now had.

'Well,' he thought, pleased with what he had learnt, 'in their lists of Argonian abilities, UESPWiki, OblivioWiki, and the Elder Scrolls Wiki never mentioned hands-free nose picking!'

Now that he was done with his disgusting new trick for the time being, Walks-in-Shadows drank an energy restoration potion as he was thirsty by now, then rinsed the empty bottle and its cork in the waters of Lake Rumare before setting them aside to dry. He packed up the rest of his things, including the items he'd removed from the corpse he was cremating, then turned his attention to the pyre. It had died down and gone out now, the wood and the body having been totally consumed by the blaze, and that surprised the beastman, as he knew that even in the gas cremators of the world he had previously inhabited, small pieces of bone were often left behind, making it necessary to rake them out with the ashes. However, he couldn't think about that now as there were things to be getting on with.

Walks-in-Shadows looked around until he had found a small, flat piece of rock that was larger at one end than the other, then picked up the bottle he'd rinsed out earlier and which was now dry. With the large end of the stone he held, he scooped up the ashes of the now-dead fire before using the narrow end to carefully pour them into the bottle. After this was done, he resealed the bottle with its cork. Now he had a bottle of Vampire Ash, a useful ingredient for alchemy. The Argonian packed the Vampire Ash away with his other things, then took his quiver off so he could put his satchels back on before re-equipping himself and donning his rough leather helmet once more. Then he set off on his journey back to Cheydinhal.

Walks-in-Shadows headed back to the Red Ring Road, went north up it until he reached the Blue Road to the east, then turned onto that, keeping up a scout walk all the while. After twenty-two minutes of alternately walking and running from the lakeshore near Memorial Cave, the Argonian saw a path to his left and headed up it, hoping to find an abandoned campsite or something similar. He was tired after his morning of physical exertion, and could really do with a couple of hours or so of sleep. As he reached the end of the path, he was surprised and gratified to see not an abandoned camp but an abandoned cabin, as he would have expected had he not been so weary. He walked up to it and tried the door. Locked. Oh, well, this would just be an opportunity to learn if he was as good at lockpicking as he was at picking pockets. Two snapped picks later, Walks-in-Shadows went through the door and lit some candles before closing it, then quickly located the bed and went over to it, unequipping and undressing himself as he did so before dropping his things as he reached it. He pulled out his coarse linen shirt from one of his satchels, then put it on before getting under the covers and arranging his things on the bedcovers at his back. Although he had not gone back to Seridur's house as he had planned, the beastman thought that maybe it wouldn't matter. In fact, it might actually help. He had forgotten the darkness of his scales, which wasn't so obvious during the twilight. Whereas if he _had_ visited during the day, Cylben Dolovas would be more easily able to remember him. As things stood, it was likely that all the Dunmer bodyguard would be able to say is that an Argonian had called to enquire after his master the evening before his disappearance. The reptilian humanoid thanked God that he had forgotten to go back to the Imperial City.

While thinking on these things, having had a tiring day so far and a night in the open before it, Walks-in-Shadows drifted happily into a sound sleep. He hadn't seen the black horse that was hobbled to one side of the cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'It's Bad Luck to be You'; Copyright © 2005 Tommy Tallarico. All rights reserved.  
> Free copies of the above song may be downloaded from [inXile entertainment](http://www.thebardstale.com/music.htm).


	6. Meeting Lucien

# Chapter Five: Meeting Lucien.

Lucien Lachance was squatting in silence by the side door of the cabin that was to be the meeting place of the new candidate and himself when he heard the sound of footsteps going towards the front door. Not knowing who it was and not wishing to be seen, he simply remained in place. Thus it was that he was also able to hear the scraping of lockpicks and the cursing in a strange language that followed the sounds of two of them snapping. The Speaker did not hear the door relock after the picking attempt was successful. However, whoever it was obviously wasn't somebody bent on simply clearing the place out of whatever it held, as they had still not emerged after half an hour. Deciding that this must be the new candidate he was supposed to invite into the Dark Brotherhood, Lucien sneaked around to the door that the other had entered, and noiselessly slipped inside.

As he entered the one-storey wooden building, casting a Night-Eye spell of short duration in order to see better, Lucien could see that the candidate had obviously been very tired. The person was in the bed with the covers pulled up well over his head, did not move at all, which was evidence of a very deep slumber, and there was no fire lit in the hearth whatsoever. It was this last thing that demonstrated the candidate's tiredness most clearly, as everybody in the Tamrielic Empire had tools, of one kind or another, with which to start a fire. And, of course, nobody in Tamriel would go to bed without a fire lit and banked in the hearth this late in the month of Sun's Dusk. Another thing that Lucien noted was the candidate's belongings on the bed covers behind him as he lay on his side. A strange habit, but harmless. After making all of these observations, the Speaker made his way as carefully as he could to a chair which he could see near the fireplace in the candlelight that cast flickering shadows in the windowless cabin. Seating himself, he began rehearsing the various lines he used each time he made his invitation.

It was in the middle of his umpteenth repetition that Lucien's consciousness was nudged back into full alertness by movements from the bed. This was it. Rising into a standing position, the Imperial smoothed his robes, and then walked over to the bed so he could be easily seen as the sleeper got up. A few minutes more, then the candidate awoke fully, and as his face emerged from the covers, Lucien forgot his lines. His prisoner!

"Buongiorno," the Argonian said, seeing him and sitting up fully. "Isn't this where you're supposed to give me the spiel offering me a place in a 'rather unique family', a Blade of Woe, and orders to kill someone so that you may test my commitment?" He said the word 'spiel' with the correct Deutsch pronunciation, making it sound as though it started with a sh sound.

The Dark Brotherhood Speaker's feelings of amazement, puzzlement, and not a little curiosity were, for the first time since his youth, clear upon his face. The reptilian humanoid, however, was unable to read these emotions.

"That's a funny look you've got on your face," he stated.

Lucien managed to resume his normal calm appearance once again.

"So tell me," he asked, "what's your name?"

"Walks-in-Shadows," the dark Argonian replied.

"Fitting," the Speaker said.

The reptilian humanoid burst into laughter upon hearing this. "You know," he half-choked out, "that's exactly what Vicente said when _he_ heard it. Is it 'cos I is black?"

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind. Just something from Earth."

"Earth?"

"Like Nirn, only very different."

"Why not tell me something about it?" Lucien suggested, once again seating himself.

So Walks-in-Shadows, helped along by various questions and prompts from the Dark Brotherhood Speaker, spoke about electricity, space exploration, the Internet, and just about everything he could think of. Except, of course, anything about the Elder Scrolls series. It took a quite a few hours, and he had just finished when he felt a rather unusual sensation in his abdomen and began to shift around uncomfortably, his tail twitching at the side of his leg. Lucien noticed this and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I've got this feeling like I need to go." the dark Argonian replied.

"Go?"

"Yeah, _you_ know."

This time, Lucien comprehended. 'To go' was not something he had ever heard before, but the umbric Argonian's reticence and signs of discomfort were nothing new to him.

"So what's the matter?" he asked.

"It feels kinda strange," Walks-in-Shadows whimpered.

"How does it feel strange?"

"Well, I'm used to either pressure low down at the front from my bladder, or pressure at the back from my bowel. This pressure's sorta high in the front."

Suddenly, it all became clear to the Speaker.

"You mean to say that you've never passed waste as an Argonian before?" he asked.

"No. Why, what's different?"

"Well, you see," Lucien was embarrassed about this, but it had to be explained, "Argonians do not have separate holes."

" _What_?" Walks-in-Shadows was horror-struck. While the various Elder Scrolls wikis had never claimed that Argonians had the same genitalia as Men, Mer, Orcs, and Khajiit, all males of every race had always been shown with the same bulges in the front of their greaves on the inventory screens in the games.

"Have you never wondered why you don't need to pass water?" asked the Speaker.

"I've not drunk much," explained Walks-in-Shadows.

"Argonians don't actually need to drink as much as the other races because you don't lose as many fluids as we do. The _real_ reason is that you won't pass water until you pass waste, and it all comes out of your cloaca at once."

"That's horrible!"

"Unfortunately, that is the way it is. Also, since there doesn't seem to be a privy at this cabin, you'll have to do it outside. There's a bush at the front that isn't too near the door."

"Um, there's one more problem."

"And that is?"

"I'm not exactly dressed for going outside. Please?"

So Lucien stood up and turned his back, sighing as he did so. Walks-in-Shadows got out of bed before getting his rugged pants and putting them on. Then he left the cabin, and the Speaker heard him say, "Thanks, Lucien," as he did so.

Several minutes passed, then Walks-in-Shadows came back in. He walked up to Lucien and stood in front of him, shuffling from foot to foot and clearly uncomfortable about something.

"Is there something else you need?" asked the Speaker.

"Well..." the Argonian was hesitant.

"I can't know what it is you want unless you tell me."

"I need you to look at it." The words came out in a rush.

" _Look_ at it?"

"Yeah."

"Why, by Sithis, if I may ask?"

"Well, where I came here from, I'm Autistic and I have digestive problems. I've already found out that having a new body hasn't made me non-Autistic, so I may still have gut issues. The way I can usually tell if I'm having a reaction to something is if my waste is weird, but I don't know what an Argonian's hraka's supposed to look like. _Please_ , Lucien."

"Oh, very well," said the Dark Brotherhood Speaker, accompanying Walks-in-Shadows out of the door.

The two of them walked to the bush where the Argonian had passed his waste. A four inch length of faeces lay on the grass between one of the bushes and the wall of the cabin, almost hidden from sight. Lucien crouched down and examined the waste, then stood up again and said, "That looks perfectly normal to me."

"Are you sure?" Walks-in-Shadows asked, worriedly. "That's just a pellet."

"As is to be expected."

"But I usually pass much more than that!"

"But you're not now what you once were anymore, remember?"

"And what's that white bubble on the end of it?"

"That is your water. I told you that it would all come out of your cloaca at once, and that's how it comes out. I assure you, that is healthy Argonian waste, so you may use it to make a comparison in the future."

"Okay. Thanks, Lucien," responded Walks-in-Shadows. Then he grinned and said, "Cheers, big ears!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're supposed to say, 'Same goes, big nose!' Especially since it's now true!" Walks-in-Shadows said, encircling his snout with his hands to make his point.

Lucien got the joke and chuckled slightly. It _was_ rather good, and the making of it was proof that Walks-in-Shadows' usual cheeky nature was reasserting itself. As he turned to leave, however, the Argonian stopped him. "You still haven't done what you came here to do," he complained.

Lucien stopped in his tracks and turned back towards Walks-in-Shadows.

"You are indeed correct," he said. "So, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join our family. Here is a special dagger called the Blade of Woe, you are to go to the Inn of Ill Omen and-"

"Kill the man called Rufio that I'll find there," finished the dark Argonian, taking the proffered dagger.

Lucien's face once again lost its composure as he responded, "Yes. Tell me, how did you know that? How do you know Vicente Valtieri and myself? In fact, how _do_ you know the things that you do?"

Walks-in-Shadows shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "I can't explain that. At least, not yet I can't. I really wish I could, believe me."

Lucien decided not to press the Argonian any further on the subject. Instead, he said, "I've been told that you deliberately committed the murder that earned you this invitation. Is that true?"

"Yeah, of course it is."

"May I ask why?"

"The dude deserved it! He was a vampire-"

"You murdered him just because he was a vampire?"

" _If_ you'll let me finish, I was gonna say that the dude was a vampire who killed Roland Jenseric's betrothed."

"But Roland Jenseric was the vampire who killed his betrothed. The Champion of Cyrodiil avenged her death herself."

"And yet the poor woman's death remained unavenged. Your much-vaunted Champion made a mistake and killed the wrong person. In fact, Roland _wasn 't_ a vampire, he was simply unfortunate enough to witness the murder of his beloved by Seridur, who immediately turned around and accused the innocent man of the crime to take suspicion away from himself, a rich and powerful man. This ploy worked so well that, a few days later, Roland was killed in this very cabin, the Bosmer who would become the Champion of Cyrodiil proclaimed her deed to the Order of the Virtuous Blood, and then she received two hundred and fifty Septims of blood money from Seridur for what she had done. Early this morning, I personally avenged the murders of both Roland and his betrothed by killing the one who was ultimately responsible for those misdeeds. Also, because I was the only person not of Oblivion who was aware of the full facts, my act of moral justice was regarded as a murder by the Night Mother, and I earned my invitation into the Dark Brotherhood."

As Walks-in-Shadows related this narrative, Lucien's face went from calm, through bewilderment and amazement, to awe. By the time the umbric Argonian had finished, the Speaker had once again resumed his normal calm demeanour, but the admiration was clear in his voice as he said, "Your vengeance is a plot worthy of me."

"Danke sehr," Walks-in-Shadows replied, giving a low sweeping bow in the medieval Italiano style. He had learnt this bow from playing Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood on his PS3, the console on which he had played the game in which he now seemed to be trapped for he didn't know how long. Maybe forever.

"By the way, do you know what you have to do once you've completed this contract?" Lucien enquired.

Walks-in-Shadows answered, "Go to the Abandoned House in Cheydinhal, give the correct response to a question - which I already know, by the way - to gain entrance through the door in the basement, then seek out Ocheeva, who greets all the new recruits."

The Speaker was again impressed. That was exactly what new recruits had to do, in essence. He asked, "So, when precisely did you lose your fear of me?"

"I don't know," the Argonian answered cheekily, "maybe about the time I woke up, saw you standing there, and realised you were too gobsmacked to want to paralyse me again."

"Gobsmacked?"

"It means astounded."

"I see. Well, I am returning to Cheydinhal for now. I hope that I'll see you when you're in the Brotherhood."

"Farewell, Lucien," Walks-in-Shadows said. Then he called in a slightly louder voice, "Farewell, Shadowmere," before turning around and re-entering the cabin.

Lucien was not surprised by now that the Argonian had known Shadowmere's name or the fact that she was there, so he simply unhobbled and mounted her, then nudged her into a walk back towards the Blue Road.

As Shadowmere's quickening hoof beats faded out of earshot, Walks-in-Shadows attached his new dagger's sheath to his belt, got changed into his armour, then packed his clothes away before re-equipping himself with his satchels and weapons. After remaking the bed, he placed his helmet on his head and donned his gauntlets before exiting the cabin for the final time that day.

And as he headed into the dusk, Walks-in-Shadows determined never to eat again. He _really_ hadn't liked the peculiar sensation he'd experienced that afternoon, nor its inevitable result.


	7. Discussing the Candidate

# Chapter Six: Discussing the Candidate.

After riding for quarter of an hour, Lucien Lachance reached the Black Waterside Stables, led Shadowmere into the paddock, then walked through the West Gate into Cheydinhal. He went down the main street past the inns and the shops, crossed the northernmost bridge, turned left and walked alongside the riverbank, then turned right to walk past the graveyard outside of the Great Chapel of Arkay and on towards the Abandoned House. When he reached the well outside of the house, the Dark Brotherhood Speaker unlocked it, then went down the ladder inside.

In the main area of the Sanctuary, Lucien was greeted by Vicente Valtieri, who immediately took the Speaker to his own chamber on the lowest level where he offered him a goblet of Tamika Vintage 399, which was gratefully accepted. Lucien had always enjoyed a good wine, and this was one of the best. After pouring himself a goblet of Dunmer blood, the vampire got down to business.

"The latest recruit gave me this back yesterday, Brother," he said, holding up a gold amulet. "It had apparently been left hanging on the handle of the basement door in the Abandoned House."

"Dear Brother, of what import is that to me?" asked Lucien, sipping at his wine.

"It's mine, Brother, and I first missed it after saying goodbye to the Argonian we both know, along with three hundred Septims."

Lucien chuckled and said, "Well, dear Brother, if he can steal an amulet from around the neck of a vampire in the Dark Brotherhood, he may prove to be quite a useful addition to our family."

"What do you mean, Brother?" Vicente enquired sharply.

For answer, Lucien handed him the note that had been tied to Shadowmere's stirrup leather. Once Vicente had read it, he looked enquiringly at the Speaker.

"When I reached the meeting place indicated in that note, guess who I met, dear Brother?" asked Lucien, obliquely.

The vampire looked startled as he enquired, "Really, Brother? Whom did he murder?"

"The Altmer named Seridur, in what our Argonian friend called an 'act of moral justice', dear Brother. He claimed that it was Seridur who murdered Roland Jenseric's lover, and was indirectly responsible for the death of Roland himself. I'm rather inclined to believe him. He was able to tell me of many strange and miraculous things from his home world that he takes for granted in the same way that we do Illusion spells and lantern light. He also passed waste as an Argonian for the first time this morning, and was unable to properly identify the need to do so. I've studied people for many years, and his reaction to the unfamiliar sensation definitely wasn't feigned. Neither was his inability to recognise healthy Argonian waste."

Lucien related to Vicente everything of the time that he had spent with Walks-in-Shadows, sparing no detail, then followed with a full account of all that the dark Argonian had told him about Earth. The vampire was particularly fascinated by what he heard about the internet, and especially the devices it could be accessed from. Being able to project one's voice an extremely long distance was something that had not been achieved on all of Nirn, yet Earth people had accomplished this feat _without_ magic? And they could do it from wherever they happened to be? Astounding! And the days had strange names. Instead of Sundas, Morndas, Tirdas, Middas, Turdas, Fredas, and Loredas, they had Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Why were they still named after gods which the people of Earth no longer worshipped? And why did Earth have no beast races? Were apes the _only_ creatures on Earth capable of evolving to such a level? Also, these 'printing press' things would have to be found out about in more detail. They could prove highly useful on Nirn.

Pulling himself out of these musings for the moment, Vicente related all he had heard and observed from Walks-in-Shadows during the time they had spent together, and told of his own bewilderment at discovering that his amulet and money were missing, as well as his perplexity when the amulet was later returned.

"After all, Brother," he said, "why not sell it since he obviously wanted Septims? It wouldn't have fetched above one hundred of them, but that isn't an insignificant amount."

"I believe that's something we'll find out when he comes to this Sanctuary, dear Brother."

"Do you truly believe that he'll come here, Brother?"

"I have no doubt of it, dear Brother. After all, he deliberately committed a murder just to gain the Night Mother's attention, if you recall. He obviously wishes to be in the Dark Brotherhood. As you told me, when he left your company that day, he did say, 'See you soon!' I wonder, how did he know he would be invited into _this_ Sanctuary?"

"That's probably part of his 'long story', Brother," said Vicente. "He said that he'd write a book about it one day if he was in our world long enough. I wonder if he knows enough about those 'printing presses' he told you about that one could be built. I imagine the Black Horse Courier would appreciate such a thing, and his book could be printed on one. And how much do you think he knows about those 'promissory notes'?"

"I'll have to leave it to you to get those details. As you know, dear Brother, because of my duties with the Black Hand, I'm far too busy much of the time to sit down with recruits and interview them."

"Yet you spent many hours with Walks-in-Shadows at Roland Jenseric's cabin, Brother," the vampire pointed out.

"That was my only contract at the time, dear Brother," Lucien replied. "If I'd had any others, I probably wouldn't have waited for him to awaken, but simply left a note with his Blade of Woe. However, while I recognise the practicality of such measures, I've always preferred the personal touch. And I'm now glad that I _did_ await his return to consciousness. He clearly needed _somebody_ from this world to explain certain facts, and we've both learned much about him as a result of the time I spent in his company."

"That's true," admitted Vicente. "However, Brother, I can't help but feel uneasy about him. He holds many mysteries, and if he needed somebody to explain basic things to him, how will I be able to send him out on his contracts with any confidence?"

"He was able to kill a vampire, and when I saw him later, he had only a small cut on his neck to show for it," remarked Lucien. "So I have every confidence in his abilities, dear Brother. Now, I must see Ocheeva, then return to my home and await my next contract."

The two friends said their farewells to each other, then Lucien sought out Ocheeva. He always told her something about each of the new recruits, and Walks-in-Shadows would be no different in this regard, especially as he was so highly unusual. The Speaker may have been the titular head of the Cheydinhal Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, but it was Ocheeva who was the mistress of it and directly ran its day-to-day affairs. Once his business was finally concluded, Lucien departed for Fort Farragut. He had things to do, and not having to return to Walks-in-Shadows to give him further instructions gave him extra time to do them.


	8. Killing a Rapist

# Chapter Seven: Killing a Rapist.

It took Walks-in-Shadows two hours to reach the Inn of Ill Omen, and once he'd arrived, he walked through the door, approached the bar in front of him, and ordered a room and twenty bottles of mead. He thought the mead might taste better than the alternatives of cheap wine, beer, or ale, none of which he had liked when on Earth.

"Aren't you going to order anything to eat?" The innkeeper, Manheim Maulhand, asked the dark Argonian after giving him directions to his room.

"I had a large meal before I set off on my journey," Walks-in-Shadows lied.

"But what about later?" persisted Manheim.

"I've got plenty of food in one of my satchels," the Argonian said. This, at least, was the truth.

"Fine," the innkeeper responded, "just let me know if you do need anything."

Walks-in-Shadows took his mead, put it into one of his satchels, and walked to his room. Once there he removed his quiver, satchels, gauntlets, and helmet, placing them on the bedroll on the floor, then he left the room again and sneaked downstairs where he crouched in the shadows on the bottommost steps and watched the inn door. He didn't have to wait as long as he'd feared he would, for after just a few minutes, the Imperial Legion Forester he'd expected walked in from outside. The Forester went up to the bar, ordered a drink, then engaged Manheim in conversation while the Argonian used the opportunity thus afforded him to sneak behind the stairs and through a trapdoor into the private quarters of the inn.

Once in the basement, Walks-in-Shadows went to the second of the two doors on his left and entered it, looking towards the bed and smiling as he did so. Rufio was there, lying on his side, fast asleep. The umbric Argonian closed the door and crept over to the bed, unsheathed the Blade of Woe, then held it against the Breton's neck before shaking him awake.

"Who are you? What do you want? I ain't done nothin'!" came the immediate response.

"Sithis demands your life," Walks-in-Shadows hissed.

"Oh, please, no! I can pay you! Name your price! Anything! Anything! Please, just let me live!" Rufio yelled.

"Yet Sithis would welcome you into the Void. You must have done _something_ to please him," his assailant stated. He had a good idea of what Rufio had done, but he wanted more details.

The Breton then yelled, "No! Please! I didn't mean to do it, you understand me? She struggled! I... I told her to just stay still, but she wouldn't listen! I had no choice!"

"How old was she? And tell me the truth, it may save your life." It wouldn't, but the Argonian was curious. Only speculation could be given in the wikis.

"Th... thir... thirteen!"

Walks-in-Shadows drew his Blade of Woe across Rufio's throat and watched him bleed out, bright red arcs shooting through the air and dark red gouts pooling on the pillow.

The last thing that the Breton heard before entering the Void was, "You should have said thirty-something, you sick vilgehk pervert. I'd have smothered you in your sleep instead."

The reptilian humanoid left the room and climbed the ladder back into the main area of the inn, then looked towards the bar. Tysh! The Forester was gone and Manheim was alone. Time to try a different tactic. Walks-in-Shadows collapsed loudly enough to gain the innkeeper's attention. Manheim immediately rushed over and helped him back up. The dark Argonian must have come downstairs while he was engaged in conversation with the Forester.

"You must have drunk all your mead," he said, confused. Twenty bottles of mead should only get an Argonian tipsy.

Walks-in-Shadows nodded and giggled. "An' so'e bo'les o' Seerdilic brandy," he slurred. "I celebratin'."

"What are you celebrating?" the innkeeper asked. At least the Argonian's drunken state was explained.

"Jus' go' a rea' good job. Gonna star' soon as I reach Cheydinhal."

"Ah," said Manheim, "well just you be careful not to get drunk while you're working, or you'll soon lose that job."

"Yeah, I be rea' carefu', fanks," replied Walks-in-Shadows.

The two of them had reached the Argonian's room by this time, so the innkeeper supported him to the bedroll and laid him on it on his side. Then he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

As soon as Manheim's footsteps had faded away, Walks-in-Shadows finally allowed himself to shudder from the lingering traces of the innkeeper's touch, then got out his mortar and pestle, his food, and his mead. He opened one of the bottles and drank its contents as he ground some of the food up. When the bottle was empty, he carefully scraped the resulting dry paste into it. He could add water as soon as he got to the first bridge near Lake Rumare. The umbric Argonian did the same with the other nineteen bottles and most of the other food. As soon as he'd finished the last bottle, he had a pretty good buzz, so he decided to go to sleep for a few hours so he could recover his strength.

* * *

Once Walks-in-Shadows woke up again, he packed his mortar and pestle, the rest of the food, and the twenty bottles of alchemical paste into his satchels, then re-equipped himself. He went downstairs, clutching his head in a show of pain.

"Hangover?" Manheim enquired.

"Yeah, bad one," the dark Argonian moaned.

"Perhaps you shouldn't drink so much Cyrodiilic brandy the next time you drink mead," the innkeeper stated.

"I'll take that under advisement," Walks-in-Shadows said dryly as he left the inn.

If the truth be told, the reptilian humanoid _was_ feeling peculiar, but not as a result of intoxication or any of its after effects. He seemed to not be able to walk and run with his usual rapidity, he wasn't able to jump as high as he was used to, and landing after jumping from his normal height limit actually hurt. He would have to find out exactly what was wrong with him. Having made up his mind on this, he got to the Green Road and turned north on it to make his way back to Cheydinhal.

And at just about this same time, Manheim Maulhand began to wonder exactly _how_ the umbric Argonian had managed to get so drunk from twenty bottles of mead and an unspecified number of bottles of Cyrodiilic brandy in a relatively short amount of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Rufio's Words'; Copyright © 2006 Bethesda Softworks. All rights reserved. Used under licence.


	9. Joining the Brotherhood

# Chapter Eight: Joining the Brotherhood.

It took Walks-in-Shadows five hours to reach Cheydinhal. At the first bridge from the Inn of Ill Omen, he'd filled his bottles of paste to form health and energy restoration potions as he'd planned, then he had decided to have a swim. It would get him clean and allow him to test out the Argonian water breathing he had often vicariously engaged in after his Bosmer character had equipped Fin Gleam, an enchanted glass helmet, on herself.

After stripping down to his loincloth, the dark Argonian re-equipped himself with his belt and shortsword, then dived into the water. Either it wasn't as cold as he had expected it to be, or Argonians had skin that was more impervious to extremes of temperature than that of Earth humans. Either way, although he had always hated the feel of water on his skin when he was human, Walks-in-Shadows was actually enjoying this. He had so much fun while swimming that he spent almost two hours underwater, coming across and fighting off only a few slaughterfish during that time. Then he recalled that he had somewhere to be, so he got out, the water dripping off his scales as he climbed the bank, took off his loincloth and squeezed the water from it before he rewrapped it and got back into his armour, then re-equipped his other things before setting off on his journey once more.

When he eventually reached Cheydinhal, the umbric Argonian went straight to the Abandoned House and unlocked the door, breaking no lockpicks this time. It was an easier lock than the one on Roland Jenseric's cabin had been, and that lock had provided some experience. Now that he had access to the house once again, Walks-in-Shadows opened the door and went inside. He walked back down to the basement and approached the Ancient Black Door from the opposite side to which he had left the Sanctuary by.

In a hoarse whisper, the Ancient Black Door asked its usual question, "What is the colour of night?"

"Sanguine, my Brother," the Argonian answered once again.

After he had re-entered the Sanctuary and the door had swung shut behind him, he heard it respond, "Welcome home." An Argonian in shrouded armour without a hood was approaching him. Who was he? Then the Argonian spoke.

"Greetings! Greetings! I am Ocheeva, mistress of this Sanctuary. Lucien has told me all about you. Let me welcome you to the Dark Brotherhood!"

Walks-in-Shadows was startled. In images of Ocheeva on the Oblivion wikis, she had breasts, making it easy to tell that she was female. But the Argonian who had just greeted him had no obvious secondary sexual characteristics, and this confused the issue. How was he supposed to tell female Argonians apart from male ones whenever they weren't speaking or wearing skirts and dresses? Going over to a table which was stood against a large pillar in the centre of the room, Ocheeva picked up a neatly folded pile of black leather from it, then returned to Walks-in-Shadows.

"Let me welcome you to the Dark Brotherhood! It is always a pleasure to welcome another Dark Brother into our ranks! Truly, the Night Mother smiles upon Her trusted sons! You stand now in our Sanctuary. May it serve now as your home, a place of comfort and security whenever the need arises. I will show you where you are to sleep. But before I do, please accept this gift from your new family. A unique set of armour, lighter than normal leather and black as the Void," she said, handing the pile of leather to the umbric Argonian.

"Please also accept this key for easy access to the house which shelters us."

"Okay, thanks," Walks-in-Shadows replied, taking the items and splitting them between his satchels.

Ocheeva then led him to the living quarters where a bed and chest had been placed for his use.

"Once you've unpacked and settled in," she said, "you may see Vicente Valtieri to get your first contract."

"Thanks for letting me know," the dark Argonian responded. He hadn't actually needed to be told, but there was no harm in being polite to someone who would be providing his contracts in the future, if the information he had read was anything to go by.

"Also, Lucien informed me that you were only recently transformed into an Argonian, and do not know a lot about our race as a result," Ocheeva then said. "He's instructed me to answer any questions you may have about us."

"Domo arigato," Walks-in-Shadows replied, then Ocheeva left the room.

The umbric Argonian, now with the rank of Murderer in the Dark Brotherhood, took off his quiver, then removed his satchels and unpacked them onto the bed, placing most of his potions and repair hammers into the chest at the side of it. Then he took off the rest of his things before repairing his armour and weapons, placing the armour, apart from his helmet, beside the other items in the chest, then he placed his clothes on top of his armour, making sure to keep his coarse linen shirt and rugged breeches out. He donned his new armour, which was much lighter than his old set had been, placed the hood on his head, noticing with gratitude that it had a lot more room for his crest than his helmet had, then re-equipped his satchels, shield, and weapons. He put his lockpicks, three of his repair hammers, the rest of his potions, his helmet, his jewellery, his nightclothes, his food, and his money back into his satchels before leaving the living quarters to see Vicente.

The vampire was sat at his table, reading as usual, when he heard a firm knock at the door. Then it opened and footsteps approached him. He put down his book and turned to look at whomever had entered.

"Walks-in-Shadows!" he exclaimed happily. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," the Argonian replied. "Um... I've got something to give you."

He reached into his satchel, pulled out all but eight Septims of his money, and gave it to Vicente.

"I'm sorry I stole your money," he said, "but I needed it. You can take the rest from what I receive for my contracts if I can't pay it back before."

"If you needed Septims so badly," the vampire asked, "why didn't you sell this?" He indicated the gold amulet that he was once again wearing.

"I only stole that for the practice," Walks-in-Shadows replied. "I'm glad to see you got it back."

"Well, I thank you for your honesty," Vicente said. "Now, for your first contract-"

"Pirate captain, Imperial City Waterfront. I'm all over it."

"Also, Lucien noticed that small cut on your neck from a fight. Have you had any symptoms?"

"What cut?" the Argonian asked. _He_ hadn't noticed any cut.

"This cut," the vampire said, pointing it out. "Have you had any symptoms?" he again enquired.

So Walks-in-Shadows related the problems he had noticed, which made Vicente surprised.

"You didn't get that cut from the vampire you murdered?" he queried.

"No. I took _him_ out with a single arrow," the dark Argonian explained. "I must have got this cut from the wolf I fought the night before."

"Ah, you've obviously contracted hell joint," the vampire stated. "Sit down and I'll make you the remedy."

He searched in his chest and pulled out a twig-like thing that looked like a little man without arms, and a mortar and pestle. He prepared and chopped the twig before putting it into the mortar, used the pestle to grind it up into a dry paste, then mixed in some water to hydrate the potion before pouring it into a stone cup and giving it to Walks-in-Shadows, who sniffed at it suspiciously before putting it down.

"I can't drink that," he complained, "it smells nasty."

"You must if you wish to get better. I know that mandrake root tastes very unpleasant, but it's the most effective remedy I know, and is faster than anything else except an altar, which we're unable to use. The priests of the chapels recognise us for what we are because of where we live, and we're unwelcome there as a consequence," said Vicente.

So the umbric Argonian picked up the cup and poured the potion down his throat without allowing it to touch his tongue. After this, he said his goodbyes to the vampire and walked from the room. Before he departed the Sanctuary, however, he had one more thing to do. He went up the steps to Ocheeva's room and knocked on her door before entering.

"Greetings, dear family member," she said, seeing him. "I do hope you are faring well."

"Ocheeva, I gotta ask you something," said Walks-in-Shadows.

"How may I assist you?"

"Well, I noticed that there's no obvious way to tell whether an Argonian's male or female. How am I supposed to know which _I_ am?"

"The head adornments of male Argonians will always be larger than those of females, and I can see by yours that you're male. But if you still harbour any doubts, simply look at the base of your abdomen. Each male has a flap of skin above his vent, no female does."

"Thanks, Ocheeva," said the dark Argonian.

Ocheeva responded, "Go now, dear family member, and may the Night Mother wrap you in her cold, loving embrace."

Walks-in-Shadows left the room, closing the door behind him. Then he exited the Sanctuary and went to the Cheydinhal Mages Guild to get a recommendation from them for the Arcane University.

He still hadn't eaten anything since he had made his vow not to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Ocheeva's Greeting' and 'Ocheeva's Farewell'; Copyright © 2006 Bethesda Softworks. All rights reserved. Used under licence from Bethesda Softworks.


	10. The Death of Tussaud

# Chapter Nine: The Death of Tussaud.

Within a few days, Walks-in-Shadows had gained a recommendation from each branch of the Mages Guild. He had even obtained one from Bruma, which had been restored by order of the Arch-Mage of the Guild, Aranwen Greenwood. While gaining his recommendations, the Argonian had also found and stolen some filled Grand Soul Gems, as well as gaining the Ring of Khajiiti by going to Howling Cave and killing all of the Necromancers who dwelt within it for Meridia, a Daedric Prince with a female aspect. The next thing that Walks-in-Shadows did was to follow the Yellow Road to the first bend past the Corbolo River, then leave it and locate the Shadow Stone to the north of the road. Once he had found the stone, the dark Argonian activated it and was granted temporary use of the Fingernail Moon greater power. This was a Chameleon spell, which would allow him to create a simpler version that he could use at any time, as well as enchant items with Chameleon.

With the Fingernail Moon and the Grand Soul Gems in hand, Walks-in-Shadows went to the Arcane University and used a spell making altar to create a spell which would give him ten percent Chameleon on himself for fifteen seconds when cast. Then he used an enchantment altar and four of the Grand Soul Gems to enchant his helmet, necklace, one of his rings, and his shield with twenty percent Chameleon each. In total, he would have one hundred and fifteen percent Chameleon and be invisible. After a week and a half of work, he was ready.

Walks-in-Shadows travelled from the Arcane University, through the Arboretum and the Temple District, to the Waterfront. Once there, he equipped his Chameleon enchanted items, then sneaked over to the Marie Elena and into an empty crate which stood amongst others on the quay alongside the ship. After a few minutes, the crate was closed and he felt it being picked up then put down again.

"This crate's heavy for bein' empty," a voice said.

"Only the inside's empty," replied a second. "There could be ebony or Dwemer artefacts between the walls."

"True enough. You'll have to help me with it."

The crate was picked up again, the men carrying it laughing and making ribald jokes as they did so. Then, after what seemed like ages, the Argonian inside the crate felt it being put down once again before the voices faded into the distance. Walks-in-Shadows waited until the pirates had been gone for a few minutes, then pushed the crate open. Perfect. It didn't seem that anybody but himself was around. The umbric Argonian got out of the crate and crept to the other end of the cargo hold, then went up a ladder which was on his left. As he arrived on the mid deck, he heard the voices of the two pirates who had carried the crate discussing the Dunmer first mate, Malvulis. The conversation lasted for some minutes as Walks-in-Shadows listened.

"I'm tellin' ya, lad, it's bad luck. A woman onboard a pirate vessel! Back in my day, it never would've happened."

"Oh, come now. How many times has Malvulis saved our necks, huh? Captain Tussaud keeps her on for a reason. She's a better sailor than any one of us."

"Ho there, laddie, now you're just bein' insultin'! She may be tougher than me, and meaner too, but a better sailor? It ain't even possible!"

"Oh, right, how could I forget? That time we were almost dashed upon the rocks near the city of Firsthold. That was somebody else at the helm."

"I told you a million times, that wasn't my fault! The wheel was covered with... gull droppin's! My hand slipped! Could've happened to anyone!"

"Well, it's never happened to Malvulis, has it? You know why? 'Cos she could sail better than you in her sleep, you old fool!"

"Bah! You mark my words, boy. That Dark Elf trollop is bad luck. The captain'll end up dead with her around. You'll see."

"You'd better watch your tongue, old man. Captain Tussaud hears you talkin' like that, he'll cut it out! Now come on, we been gabbin' long enough."

After this conversation, the pirates went their separate ways. The one who'd defended the first mate coming fore to a room without a door, where he sat at the table inside to read. The sexist one went to another room, also without a door and nearer the aft of the ship, where he got into bed and went to sleep. The Argonian took this opportunity to sneak past them and to the ladder which led to the next deck, climbing it to the captain's cabin. When he arrived there, he took a quick look round. Good, Captain Tussaud was asleep. Walks-in-Shadows went further into the room, picked the captain's pocket for the key he carried, then used the key to unlock and loot Captain Tussaud's Booty, picking the Nirnroot he heard singing on the way. He cleared the chest of the Septims, lockpicks, and repair hammers that it held, then finally went over to the captain and slit his throat.

After taking the Septims that the captain had, as well as his steel cutlass, the dark Argonian unlocked the door at the back of the captain's cabin, went through it, then jumped from the balcony at the aft into the water below. He swam to the side of the harbour away from the Marie Elena and got out of the water, then walked to the Bloated Float, an inn on a ship at the other end of the quay. He walked through the door and up to the counter where he hired a room for the night from Ormil, the Altmer owner of the ship.

"The room is down below deck, the door on the left," said Ormil.

Walks-in-Shadows uttered his thanks as he paid the ten gold, then went downstairs to his room. He entered it and got out his coarse linen shirt and rugged breeches before stripping naked. He needed to dry his armour and loincloth. However, before getting his clothes on to sleep, the Argonian needed to sex himself. He was surprised that he hadn't remembered before. Since he didn't dare look as Ocheeva had suggested, he laid on his back on the bed, slid his hand down his abdomen, and located the flap of skin that the female Dark Brotherhood Executioner had told him about. Good, he _did_ have a male body in this world as well as his own. He'd been worried about that. While it was weird enough to no longer have any obvious genitalia and to have his arsehole in his belly instead of his bum, a female body would _really_ have put the cap on things. Now that this was done, he dressed in the clothes that he had taken from his satchels, got as much water as he could out of his wet things and into the chamber pot from under the bed, laid his gear out on the floor to dry, then got into bed and put his satchels on the covers at his back before going to sleep. He was getting more easily tired these days, and he couldn't blame hell joint this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Pirates' Conversation Concerning Malvulis'; Copyright © 2006 Bethesda Softworks. All rights reserved. Used under licence.


	11. Walks-in-Shadows' Illness

# Chapter Ten: Walks-in-Shadows’ Illness.

The seventeen-year-old human male paused his game, put the DualShock 3 he was using on the couch cushion beside him, then got up and went into the kitchen where he got a tumbler from the cupboard and poured himself a glassful of Pepsi from the two litre bottle that was kept in the fridge. He went back into the lounge with his drink, which he placed on the end table beside the sofa, picked the controller back up, and resumed playing ‘The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.’ While his character was walking through the prison yard in the single-max area of ‘Escape from Butcher Bay,’ the teenager picked up the glass and took a sip of his pop. It was as he did this that he woke up.

* * *

Walks-in-Shadows lay in bed and cried. The dream of his old life he’d just had was the clearest one so far, and it made him extremely homesick. He wished he knew exactly what had happened so he could try to reverse it. All he wanted was to get back home, get back on his PS3, get back on his PC, get back on his mobi, and get back on the Web. He’d probably lost his jobs on the online Autism forums he spent time on, but he could still have the social life that he was used to. He felt something like Sarah in Labyrinth must have felt, except that Sarah was able to hold on to her hope and he was starting to lose his. Unlike Sarah, he had no companions to travel with him through this strange yet recognisable world. He simply wished to go to bed, close his eyes in this world, and open them in his own.

Once he’d calmed down somewhat and his tears had ceased their flow, the Argonian got up and checked his armour and loincloth. While the leather was still slightly damp, the linen was now perfectly dry. He changed back into them, switching his helmet for his shrouded hood, then put the shirt and pants he’d worn to sleep in back into the satchel he’d taken them from. He re-equipped himself, then left the inn deck and said his farewells to Ormil, who expressed his concern that his guest hadn’t ordered anything to eat. Walks-in-Shadows explained that he had brought food with him, and the Altmer said no more on the subject.

* * *

After he had left the Bloated Float, the reptilian humanoid set off back to the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. The journey took him six hours, two hours longer than usual, because he was so weak from lack of food. Once he had passed the Ancient Black Door, the dark Argonian went straight to Vicente Valtieri’s chamber. Once Vicente had given him his reward for completion of the contract, five hundred Septims and a bonus of an enchanted ring called the Black Band, Walks-in-Shadows returned one hundred and fifty of the Septims to the Executioner.

“Here’s the rest of the money I owe you,” he said.

The Breton looked at him closely. “You need something to eat, Brother,” he stated in a very concerned manner.

“I’ve got food in my satchel,” Walks-in-Shadows explained.

However, Vicente’s vampiric senses told him more and he wasn’t fooled for a second. “Which you haven’t been eating. Come, sit down, Brother, and I’ll get Antoinetta Marie to make you something.”

The umbric Argonian shook his head and stated his intention to never eat again. “Not after what happened the last time. Passing waste that way is _not_ something I want to do ever again.”

“Then I order you to sit there and eat what’s brought to you, Brother. If I allow you to die from starving yourself, I’ll have failed in my duty of care as your Brother in Darkness.”

So Walks-in-Shadows had to sit there and eat the small meal that was placed on the table before him, glaring mutinously at Vicente with every bite he took. When he had finished, he sat in silence, then opened his mouth and vomited all over the plate. He collapsed sideways as the vampire dashed towards him, alarmed at the Argonian’s clearly advanced state of ill health. Vicente picked Walks-in-Shadows up, placed him on the sleeping slab, then left his chamber to fetch Ocheeva. Maybe _she_ could explain exactly what was wrong, being an Argonian herself. When Ocheeva arrived, she went to the dark Argonian, who was lying unconscious on the vampire’s sleeping slab, and examined him carefully.

“How long has he not been eating, dear family member?” she asked Vicente.

“From what I can tell, I would guess nearly two weeks, Sister,” the vampire replied.

“Well, when he wakes up, try to get some food down him just a little at a time and often, dear family member. Because he’s not been eating, he hasn’t been passing waste. That’s allowed uric acid to build up in his system, poisoning him. Once he begins to pass waste again, he should start getting better. And thank you for coming to get me, that was exactly the right thing to do.”

Once she had said this, Ocheeva gave one final fond glance at Walks-in-Shadows, then left the room.

Vicente located Antoinetta Marie and asked her for two hard boiled eggs, then carried a chair from his table over to his sleeping slab so he could sit down and keep a vigil over this most troublesome of recruits. It was twenty minutes before the eggs arrived, still very hot from the cooking. Marie explained that she had been doing something else when the request arrived, and had had to finish that first. Then she noticed Walks-in-Shadows on the sleeping slab, still unconscious.

“What's wrong with him, Brother?” she asked.

“He hasn’t been eating, Sister, and that’s made him very ill. The eggs are for him,” Vicente answered.

“Not been eating? Why, Brother?”

But Vicente explained that he was unable to say any more without the dark Argonian’s consent, which he wasn’t currently in a position to give.

“However, Sister, if you could find Ocheeva and ask her to come here again, please?” he requested.

So Marie left the room and went in search of Ocheeva, who arrived very quickly and asked the vampire what he required.

“Hello, Sister. Please could you let Lucien know what has happened? I think that he should be informed at once.”

“I’ve already sent him a message, dear family member,” Ocheeva replied.

It was at this moment that Walks-in-Shadows started to regain consciousness. Vicente immediately peeled one of the eggs, then, once the dark Argonian had sat up slightly, handed it to him.

“I order you to eat that, Brother,” he said.

So Walks-in-Shadows, looking defiant, stuffed the whole egg into his mouth in one go. He chewed it a few times, then stopped.

“Do you like seafood?” he suddenly asked.

“I very much enjoyed seafood in my youth,” the vampire replied.

The umbric Argonian said, “See? Food,” then opened his mouth to display the masticated egg.

Both Vicente and Ocheeva looked away in disgust, whereupon Walks-in-Shadows took this opportunity to spit out the mouthful he’d been chewing. Then he laid back down and went to sleep again.

“We’re going to have to try a different method, dear family member,” Ocheeva noted.

“Maybe Lucien will have some ideas when he gets here, Sister,” Vicente responded.

They both ignored the chewed up egg now scattered on the floor. Schemer, the Sanctuary rat, would probably enjoy it later.

* * *

It was two hours after the incident with the egg that Lucien Lachance finally arrived in the vampire’s chamber.

“I came as soon as I read Ocheeva’s message, dear Brother,” he said. “What exactly is the problem?”

So Vicente explained everything, and repeated the remark that Walks-in-Shadows had made about passing waste.

“I see,” said the Speaker. “Given his reaction to how Argonians are made, dear Brother, I really should have foreseen this eventuality. He seemed to regain his normal equilibrium soon enough, however, which is why I didn’t. I suppose that I’m partly to blame for not considering this possibility and asking you to keep a closer eye on him.”

“Perhaps I should have kept a closer eye on him anyway, Brother,” the vampire replied. “But maybe we should go to see him now.”

“By all means, dear Brother, by all means,” Lucien replied, and the two friends left Vicente’s room.

* * *

When they arrived in the living quarters, the Imperial and the Breton went over to Ocheeva, who was keeping watch over Walks-in-Shadows as he lay in his bed, to which Vicente had earlier moved him.

“How is he, dear Sister?” the Speaker asked.

“In and out of consciousness, dear family member,” the Argonian replied.

“I’ve tried to get him to eat, but he still stubbornly refuses. I... I've grown fond of my new family member in the short time that I’ve known him, and I don’t wish to see him die.” A tear rolled down one of her scaly cheeks as she said this, and she hurriedly wiped it away with a clawed hand.

Lucien went over to Walks-in-Shadows and shook him awake. The dark Argonian opened his eyes to see who was there, then closed them again before burying his face in his pillow. The Speaker shook him a second time, harder than before. This time, Walks-in-Shadows opened his eyes and raised his head as he groaned, “What the vilg do _you_ want?”

“I want to make sure that you don’t die, assassin.”

“Yeah? Well I want to go back home and be human again. I ain’t ever gonna get what _I_ want though, am I?”

“You may have a chance of getting back to your own world, but not if you’re dead, assassin. You need to live if you’re to have any chance of whatever happened to you being reversed, and you need nourishment to do so. You’ll just have to deal with the natural consequences of eating.”

“But that... it was _horrific_. I _never_ want to go through _that_ again!”

“You’ll quickly grow used to it, assassin, I assure you. Also, there are certain advantages to being Argonian, which I’m sure you know all about, that far outweigh your problem. _Please_ start eating again. You already have friends here that would miss you if you died, and besides that, you’re a useful asset to the Brotherhood. The efficiency with which you dispatched both Rufio and Captain Tussaud has never before been matched by someone of your rank.”

“Fine, fine! I’ll eat for the Brotherhood. _Now_ will you stop talking my ears off?”

“Don't you mean your tympanic membranes, dear family member?” Ocheeva asked, and even Lucien couldn’t help laughing out loud.


	12. Baenlin's Mishap

# Chapter Eleven: Baenlin's Mishap.

It had been two weeks since Walks-in-Shadows' self-induced illness. He had used the latrines off the living quarters nine times since then, and although he still had to get used to defaecating in this strange manner, he _was_ doing a lot better. He sat in his bed at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, thinking about his situation and how different he was from everybody else within it. This made him remember an Echo and the Bunnymen song he'd heard on an old vampire movie that had been shown on Film4 the week before he'd woken up in Mundus. So, twitching his tail to the tempo of unheard music; he sang:

"People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone  
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down

When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange  
No one remembers your name  
When you're strange  
When you're strange  
When you're- straaa-aaange

He had just finished when an Argonian dressed in shrouded armour and hood appeared. "It's so nice to finally meet you properly, Brother," he said.

"Hi..." the dark Argonian thought for a moment, "Teinaava. What do you need?"

The other Argonian was a little spooked as well as impressed. His eggmate, Ocheeva, had stated that Walks-in-Shadows hadn't been told anybody's name, yet the umbric Argonian had apparently been able to pull the Shadowscale's from his memory. Teinaava would have to find out how sometime in the future, but for now, he was on an errand.

"Vicente wishes to see you in his chamber."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Walks-in-Shadows dressed in his own shrouded armour and hood, then set off for the vampire's room, whistling 'Epona's Song' from 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'. He'd had to relearn the trick because of having a different oral anatomy than he used to, but two weeks in bed had given him nothing but time to practice. He reached his destination, knocked on the door, and entered when bidden to do so.

"Welcome, Brother," Vicente said as he put down the book.he was reading. "I trust that you're healthy enough to take on a contract?"

"Okay, Baenlin will have his 'accident'."

"Before you go, Brother, Lucien mentioned your habit of placing your things on the bedcovers at your back before you go to sleep. Why do you do that?"

"Because I'm Autistic, I find it very difficult to sleep without the covers being weighed down somehow. That's become worse as I've grown up.

"Please explain 'Autistic', Brother."

"I can't, it's too difficult, but put it this way, I wouldn't be able to kill Baenlin if I didn't consider myself to be merely the weapon in his nephew's hand, amongst other reasons. Too strong of a moral compass for one thing. See you tomorrow."

"May you walk always in the Shadow of Sithis, my Brother," Vicente replied. He didn't bother to ask how Walks-in-Shadows knew exactly who had performed the Dark Ritual necessary to contact the Brotherhood foor this contract as, like Lucien, he had long since ceased to be surprised at the extent of the Argonian's arcane knowledge. Instead, he merely picked up the book he'd been reading while Walks-in-Shadows left the room. The dark Argonian went to his chest in the living quarters and packed such things as he felt would be necessary on his current mission. That meant his enchanted items and a few of his lockpicks, but not a lot else. Walks-in-Shadows knew that Baenlin had a house full of things to steal, and he didn't wish to weigh himself down too much before he got there. Once he was ready, he set off to Bruma.

After a journey of about three hours, the umbric Argonian stood inside the East Gate of Bruma, studying his map of the town. It wasn't like he actually needed to - this _was_ the smallest town in Cyrodiil, after all - but he preferred to double check what was on his memory. Once he'd put the book away again, Walks-in-Shadows set off for the local inn, the Tap and Tack. He knew that Baenlin wouldn't seat himself in his favourite chair until eight o'clock that evening, so he might as well do something to pass the time. Like drink mead. The fermented and spiced honey drink was so nice that the Argonian wanted to drink another twenty bottles. However, he needed to keep a clear head for his upcoming contract, so he only ordered four from the innkeeper, Olav, as well as two bread rolls, some boar meat, some lettuce, and an onion. With the food, he made himself two sandwiches, cutting everything as necessary with his Blade of Woe while Olav looked on curiously. What, by the Nine, was this strange-looking Argonian _doing_?

Once Walks-in-Shadows had finished his sandwiches and mead, he walked from the inn and looked at the sky. From the amount of light and the position of the sun, it was about half-past seven. Perfect. The dark Argonian walked to Baenlin's house, then, after checking that no one was near enough to see him, went behind it to the cellar door that he knew would be there. Taking out a few lockpicks, Walks-in-Shadows set to work. Slowly and carefully, he picked the lock on the door without breaking any of his picks, then put them away again before easing the door open and slipping silently inside. Once in the cellar, the Argonian emptied all of the various containers of anything he found useful, including a flax tunic to sleep in instead of his coarse linen shirt, which was slightly uncomfortable because of having cuffs at the elbows. Then he went to the door that led to the living area of the house and picked its lock, breaking a pick this time around.

'Oh, well,' he thought, 'at least I didn't break _two_ of them like I did at Roland Jenseric's cabin.'

Before going through the door, Walks-in-Shadows took off his satchels, then equipped himself with his Chameleon enchanted items. Once he was in the living area, he crept to the stairs and went up them, staying in the shadows as best he could despite the fact that no one could see him anyway. Once at the top of the stairs, he turned around and went to the room which should have the crawlspace he was looking for in it. When he found the crawlspace, the umbric Argonian opened it as silently as he could, then returned to the stairs. Back at the top of the staircase once again, he peeked throughh the balusters to check on Baenlin's position. The Bosmer should be sitting in his favourite chair to read at any time.

After eight minutes, which felt like hours, Baenlin finally walked into the room below Walks-in-Shadows' position and seated himself with his book. This was it. The Argonian crept back into the bedroom he had previously been in, entered the crawlspace, then released the ropes that held the mounted minotaur's head in its place above Baenlin's chair.

There was a crash as the head fell, followed by the sound of a deep Nordic voice saying, "Master? Master, noooooo!"

Hearing that, Walks-in-Shadows knew his work was almost complete, but there was just one more thing to do first.

Creeping back down the stairs and into the main part of the living area, the Argonian went up to Baenlin, avoiding Gromm, the Bosmer's Nordic bodyguard who stood guarding the body, and took all of the Septims from the corpse's pockets. Gromm saw the slight movements of his former master's clothing, but shrugged his perceptions aside.

"No, it's not possible. My grief must be making me see things," he muttered in shock.

With Baenlin's money in his own pocket, Walks-in-Shadows crept back to the cellar door and out of the living area. Once safely in the cellar again, he took off his enchanted items and packed them away with the money he'd looted from the corpse, then re-equipped himself with his shrouded hood and his satchels before leaving the cellar the way he'd entered it and went back to the inn to get a room for the night as well as more mead. He went out to the privy to pass his waste for the day, bending over the wooden seat while sitting down so his faeces would drop straight through the hole in it, then returned inside and went up to his room. As he drank his mead and changed into his new flax tunic, the umbric Argonian pondered over what he had to next. First to return to the Cheydinhal Sanctuary to receive his payment and bonus for taking out Baenlin exactly as required and leaving Gromm alive, then go to the Imperial Prison Sewers to murder the Dunmer who always annoyed him at the beginning of every new game.

And as he lay on his side and drifted into sleep, Walks-in-Shadows smiled at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'People Are Strange'; Copyright © 1967 Robby Krieger and Jim Morrison. All rights reserved.


	13. Two Contracts and Porphyric Haemophilia

# Chapter Twelve: Two Contracts and Porphyric Haemophilia.

It was now approaching springtime, and Walks-in-Shadows had, after two further promotions, reached the point where he would now be receiving his contracts from Ocheeva. He'd met the majority of the Sanctuary's inhabitants a week before: Antoinetta Marie, a Breton; Gogron gro-Bolmog, an Orc; Telaendril, a Bosmer; and M'raaj-Dar, a Khajiit from whom enmity radiated like heat from an old-fashioned boiler towards any newcomer. The Argonian was ill again, so had to spend a few days in bed, but his illness was only partly self-induced this time. So he spent his time mulling over his rate of progress through the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, which had been quite rapid thus far. First he had received five hundred Septims, his bonus of an enchanted dagger named Sufferthorn, and a promotion to Slayer for successful completion of the Bruma contract, then he had embarked on the contract in the Imperial Prison, which he'd enjoyed even more than he had thought he would. Valen Dreth's expression upon having what he'd said to every prisoner in the opposite cell quoted verbatim at him, after being informed that he would die for it, had been _priceless_.

'How does this Argonian know every word I've said? _He's_ never occupied any cell in this wing, and the Wood Elf bint who escaped when the Emperor came through here would only be able to repeat what I say to female Wood Elves. None of the others can say anything because they're either dead or still imprisoned here,' had been the nasty Dunmer's last thought before going to meet Sithis in the Void.

Walks-in-Shadows had then almost laughed out loud at the panicked countenances of the prison guards, who were convinced that the prison was being haunted by the ghost of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, as he opened the main door of the prison while still invisible before going back to the Sanctuary to pick up his payment of five hundred Septims, as well as his bonus of the Scales of Pitiless Justice for making sure that he killed no guards.

'Honestly,' he'd thought at the time, 'I'm not _really_ earning my bonuses when I'm making each of my contracts such a breeze!'

After that, the dark Argonian had set off to the town of Chorrol with a special dagger called the Languorwine Blade in order to 'kill' Francois Motierre. While he wished he could _actually_ execute the Breton for exchanging his mother's life for his own, he knew that he needed to fulfil the contract correctly or risk censure, maybe even expulsion, from the Dark Brotherhood. However, this hadn't prevented him taking a perverse pleasure in returning to the coward's house and robbing his 'corpse' after fleeing from Hides-His-Heart, the Argonian underworld enforcer, then, after administering the antidote that awakened Francois from his drugged sleep and slaying the Motierre zombies that arose as a result of this 'desecration', he picked the Breton's pockets of the rest of his money.

As if these things weren't enough, Walks-in-Shadows also decided to call out, "Dead man! Dead man walking! We got a _dead_ man walking here! Dead man! Dead man walking! Dead man! Dead man walking! Dead man walking here! Dead man! We got a _dead_ man walking here! Dead man walking! We got a _dead_ man walking here!" while escorting the cowardly Breton through the streets from the Chapel of Stendarr to the Grey Mare inn. Being invisible _did_ have its not-so-obvious uses at times.

Once the Argonian had completed Francois' contract, it was back to Cheydinhal for his payment of five hundred Septims, his bonus of an enchanted amulet named Cruelty's Heart, a key to the Sanctuary's secret entrance, and a promotion to Eliminator with the news that he would now be receiving his contracts from Ocheeva, which fact Walks-in-Shadows had already known.

It was then that Vicente had made his unique offer to pass on his 'Dark Gift', and once he had accepted, the umbric Argonian had been given additional information by the vampire. Walks-in-Shadows could clearly remember the conversation because it had taken place less than a day prior.

* * *

"Do you know how I'll pass on my Gift, Brother?"

"Feed on me while I'm sleeping?"

"I'd pass it on to everyone I fed from if that were the case, Brother. Would you care to guess again?"

"Um, you feed from me then I feed from you?"

"Of course not, Brother! The bacteria would be destroyed by your digestive system."

"Then I don't know."

"It's simple, Brother. We each give ourselves a small cut, then press our fresh wounds together."

"Like blood brothers?"

"Exactly, Brother, and we'll become blood brothers in more ways than one because the bacteria will only survive direct blood to blood contact. After this has been done, it will take three days for the transformation to be complete. Then you'll also be a creature of the night, and like me, will require blood to survive."

"But you eat food, I've seen you!"

"That's to keep my digestive system functioning healthily. Because blood is a liquid, it doesn't pass through it, meaning the muscles associated with it would soon atrophy if I didn't exercise them, so I eat to keep them working properly. It's especially essential for you to eat, since passing water only occurs when you pass waste, as you well know."

"Oh, I see."

"Also, you'll have to feed regularly, Brother, or you'll become ever weaker and look more and more like a monster the longer you go without feeding. After going without blood for long enough, you will seek it out by instinct, not caring whence it comes, nor what danger may surround you. There are many vampire hunters in Tamriel, and I have no wish to see you fall victim to one. And let's not forget the sun. While it won't harm us as many of the stories claim it does, too much _will_ be extremely painful to your eyes, and it will _feel_ like it's burning you. This is something that will worsen the more you forego your feeding. Remember, Brother, blood will be your salvation."

Then the ritual - for that was what it had seemed like - had been performed, and Walks-in-Shadows had retired to bed to bask in the exhilaration of his swift advancement through the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood before going to sleep.

* * *

When he next awoke, the Argonian knew he had indeed contracted Porphyric Haemophilia, the disease that was the precursor to his future vampiric state, by how low his energy levels were. From the first moment he cracked open his eyes, he felt so exhausted that he could barely eat the food that a concerned Ocheeva brought to him, and could only murmur his thanks to her before he allowed his head to flop weakly back onto his pillow. He was glad that he'd already taught the female Argonian how to make sandwiches, as he couldn't have made them himself in his current state. He would have to get her something special in return for her loving care. For that was what it seemed like, that she loved and cared for Walks-in-Shadows as much as she did Teinaava.

Since he was so low in energy, the umbric Argonian didn't have the strength to read much at a time, so he simply lay and thought most of the time he was awake. His thoughts led from one to another, and soon caused him to remember something which was a major problem in his home world, and he sang:

"We don't need no vilgehk trojans  
DRM is e-cancer  
All we want is what we paid for  
Apple, leave us geeks alone  
Hey! Sony! Leave us geeks alone!  
All we want is just to jailbreak our cell phones  
All we want is just to stop 'renting' our cell phones

We don't need no vilgehk trojans  
DRM is e-cancer  
All we want is what we paid for  
Apple, leave us geeks alone  
Hey! Sony! Leave us geeks alone!  
All we want is just to jailbreak our cell phones  
All we want is just to have purchased our cell phones"

Then, being very tired by now, he picked his nose with his tongue as he drifted off to sleep. He wasn't aware that Ocheeva had been sat near him throughout his song, concerned about his illness and watching over him like an Argonian Mary Seacole.

* * *

When Walks-in-Shadows woke again, he was surprised to discover Ocheeva sleeping in the bed next to his instead of M'raaj-Dar, so he whispered her name, and despite the quietness of his voice, the female Argonian was instantly alert and by his side in a moment.

"What do you need, dear family member?" she asked.

"First of all, please use my name. It's pmuuto confusing for me when you call me the exact same thing you call everybody else. But the main thing is: exactly how long have you been in here?"

"I've never left your side, Walks-in-Shadows. You've become as dear to me as my eggmate in the time that you've been a part of this Sanctuary, and I'm scared you might die of this illness after you so successfully recovered from the last one."

"I ain't gonna die, Ocheeva."

"You know what's happening to you?"

"Well, I ain't a hundred percent sure, I just know I ain't gonna die. I don't really know all the details, but Vicente will."

Then the dark Argonian rolled over and went back to sleep as Ocheeva stormed off to put a flea in a certain vampire's ear.

* * *

"What exactly did you do?" were the words that startled Vicente out of his own sleep, along with the door to his chamber crashing open.

"To what do you refer, Sister?" he enquired, finally recognising a very angry-looking Ocheeva.

"Walks-in-Shadows said you hold all the answers to the illness that's currently killing him and which he's completely unconcerned about!"

"Walks-in-Shadows' 'illness', as you call it, isn't killing him. He's merely undergoing the process of vampiric transformation, Sister."

Ocheeva was shocked by this news. "You gave him your curse?"

"Yes, I gave him my Dark Gift. As you know, Sister, I offer it to all recruits once they advance beyond my authority to pass on contracts to them. Walks-in-Shadows is the first to have ever accepted, and I'm pleased that he's done so. Not only do I believe him strong enough to survive the Porphyric Haemophilia he's currently suffering from, but also, once his transformation is complete, he'll be the only beastman vampire in all of Cyrodiil, if not the Tamrielic Empire."

"And you are his sire. So this is all about self-pride then, not our Brother in Darkness's exalted state."

"I'll admit that I possess _some_ measure of self-pride as Walks-in-Shadows' sire, but he could have refused and I wouldn't now have anything to be proud of if he'd done so. It was entirely his decision, I never coerced him in any way."

"We shall see about that," Ocheeva muttered darkly as she left Vicente's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Dead Man Walking Speech'; Copyright © 1999 Frank Darabont. All Rights Reserved.  
> 'Song of the Jailbreakers'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for any purpose except large scale distribution subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved.  
> (Adapted from 'Another Brick in the Wall Part II'; Copyright © 1979 Roger Waters. All rights reserved.)


	14. A Cure Rejected

# Chapter Thirteen: A Cure Rejected.

When Walks-in-Shadows next opened his eyes, he saw Ocheeva standing by his bed, holding a plate with a salad sandwich on it. She held the plate out and he took the food from it, raising it gratefully to his lips. Then he stopped, sniffing suspiciously. That smell... he _knew_ that smell. Garlic and... With a sudden burst of angry strength, the dark Argonian flung the sandwich from him, and it landed on the floor a yard away.

"Hiding mandrake root in one of my favourite foods is a real dirty trick, oui vilgehk credrayt! You know that!?" he exclaimed.

"I simply wish to help you get better," Ocheeva said, worriedly.

"There's nothing I have to 'get better' _from_! I _want_ this, can't you understand that? How could you betray me like this?" Walks-in-Shadows choked, bursting into wounded, furious tears as he did so. He didn't often display his emotions, so they must have been extreme for him to do so on this occasion.

Ocheeva was even more shocked by this than she had been by what Vicente had revealed. It seemed that the vampire hadn't been lying when he'd stated that this was the umbric Argonian's choice to make, and Walks-in-Shadows had obviously made it freely. However, he still had to eat, so Ocheeva left the living quarters to get more food. Because she realised that her charge would probably not eat a pre-made sandwich now, when she came back, it was with the fixings of one. After allowing the dark Argonian to inspect each ingredient, she started spreading the bread roll with butter. Once the sandwich had been put together, the female Argonian gave it to Walks-in-Shadows, then after he'd eaten it, passed him a silver glass of cows' milk, which he carefully sniffed at before drinking it, shuddering in deep pleasure with every swallow of the cool alkaline liquid.

The umbric Argonian had just finished his meal when he felt a now familiar, dreadful pressure in his lower abdomen.

"I have to go," he announced.

"Go where, Walks-in-Shadows?" Ocheeva asked.

"To pass waste."

"I'll just go and fetch-"

"I don't think I can wait, it's kinda urgent."

So Ocheeva assisted Walks-in-Shadows out of bed, then supported him as he walked to the latrines. Once they were there, she held her charge up as he removed his loincloth and sat on the wooden seat. He looked at the long strip of linen as it lay on the floor where he had dropped it.

"I can't rewrap that again," he stated, "I'm not strong enough. Will you help me put on a pair of pants when I go back to bed?"

"Of course I will, Walks-in-Shadows. And I'm very sorry that I tried to cure you when you don't want that."

"It's okay, that was before. I'm done now."

The female Argonian helped her charge up and back to his bed, where she assisted him in donning his green felt linens. Then she pulled the covers over him before folding his loincloth and placing it in his chest. That done, she gave Walks-in-Shadows a one-armed hug and touched her snout to his scaly forehead.

"Mmm, love you, Mam," was his drowsy response.

Ocheeva felt a burst of pleasure upon hearing this. Since she couldn't fertilise her eggs while she was in the Dark Brotherhood, she didn't expect to have any hatchlings to say anything like that to her, if at all. So having this young one say it to her gave her a sense of something almost like fulfilment, even if it _was_ only caused by the umbric Argonian's half-conscious state.

"I'll be like your mam for as long as you're with us, little one," she fondly whispered, giving Walks-in-Shadows another kiss.

And although she couldn't swear to it, Ocheeva was sure that he gave a sleepy smile in response. She got into the bed next to his, and went to sleep herself. She knew she'd have to take a lot of naps if she was to remain well-rested enough to nurse him during his current illness now she knew that he was determined to see it through to its end.

* * *

Ocheeva had been asleep for only half an hour when she was awakened by somebody shaking her shoulder. She blinked blearily up at the person for several moments before recognising him as Vicente Valtieri, who stood by the bed, looking at the discarded sandwich. It still lay on the floor, showing signs of having been gnawed on by Schemer.

"Putting mandrake root in Walks-in-Shadows' food was a clever idea, Sister," the vampire said. "How did he know?"

"I'm not entirely sure, dear family member, but he seemed to be able to smell it despite my attempts to disguise it with more pungent ingredients, including garlic."

"Well, Sister, if his sense of smell is so good already, think how powerful he's going to be once his transformation is complete. I wonder if he'll outstrip his sire?"

"We have an old saying in the Black Marsh, dear family member: Do not count your Shadowscales until they are hatched," Ocheeva said with an air of sagacity.

While the Breton vampire had never heard either Ocheeva or her eggmate, Teinaava, quote this proverb before, he understood its meaning immediately. However, if the dark Argonian's already enhanced sense of smell was anything to go by, then great things were in store for the vampire-to-be. Vicente chuckled with delight as he walked towards the short passage that led to the door of the living quarters. Then he stopped short and turned back to face his fellow Executioner.

"You do know, Sister," he said, "that if you'd succeeded in curing Walks-in-Shadows, he could simply have come back to me to re-infect him, or found another vampire to do it. I'm sure that he has a lot of knowledge of which we know nothing, and while mandrake root _will_ cure Porphyric Haemophilia, it won't prevent re-infection."

Then he finally walked up the short corridor and out of the living quarters, leaving his fellow Executioner to fall asleep, realising that what he'd just stated was perfectly true.


	15. A New Vampire and Two Atronachs

# Chapter Fourteen: A New Vampire and Two Atronachs.

Walks-in-Shadows woke up and saw Ocheeva sitting on M'raaj-Dar's bed, which she was sleeping in while her charge was sick.

The dark Argonian smiled at her and asked, "How long have I been ill now, Ocheeva?"

"Just a day, Walks-in-Shadows," she answered.

"Oh, it feels like it's been longer."

"Time often seems to pass very slowly when you're ill, but you'll be better in two days or so, according to what I've read about Porphyric Haemophilia."

"Then I'll be different, and I can't wait. Things like this just aren't possible on Earth. It's almost worth not being in my own body."

"Well, once you've recovered, I'll teach you how to swim."

"I already know how to swim."

"Yes, and I've _seen_ how non-Argonians do it, thrashing through the water and attracting every slaughterfish for miles around. I'll teach you how to swim the Argonian way, using your tail to help you glide smoothly, creating the minimum of disturbance."

"Cool, I'd like that very much."

"If you're not too tired, will you sing one of your songs for me?"

"Sure thing. What would you like to hear?"

"Something I won't have heard before."

"Well, I did write something about 'Shadow of Memories' to one of the melodies from the game, but it's from Hugo Wagner's viewpoint, and he's not known for mental stability."

"Who's Hugo Wagner?"

"The guy who's out to kill the player's character in the game."

"That sounds interesting. I'd very much like to hear that song, please."

So Walks-in-Shadows sang:

"Eike Kusch, I'll track you  
Eike Kusch, I'll kill you  
Because you took Mommy from me  
When you gave that Red Stone to Daddy

Eike Kusch, I'll track you  
Eike Kusch, I'll kill you  
When you are least expecting me  
I will strike you down from an alley

I am gonna track you!  
I am gonna kill you!  
Eike Kusch, I will prevent your sin!

Once the umbric Argonian had finished, Ocheeva said, "He sounds like he'd make a good recruit to the Brotherhood."

"Not really, Ocheeva," Walks-in-Shadows replied. "He only wanted to kill the one person, and _that_ was through misguided vengeance. Plus, like I said before, he isn't known for mental stability. Confucius, he say: A nutter does not a good assassin make."

While Ocheeva had no idea of who Confucius might be, and had never before heard the word 'nutter' in her entire life, she got the point that her charge was making despite his confusing syntax, so she simply said, "I understand."

Walks-in-Shadows smiled and asked her for a sandwich. By the time she brought it to him, however, he was once again fast asleep.

* * *

Two nights later, his three day illness finally over, Walks-in-Shadows woke up and stretched himself. He didn't now remember being ill, he simply felt quite well except for the fact that he was extremely hungry and something smelt good, _very_ good. The dark Argonian got out of bed and started tracking the delicious aroma to its source, which he eventually located on Ocheeva's bed in her chamber. What was food _doing_ in such a strange place? Oh well, who really cared? Rather than thinking about it too much, he merely got to work on filling his ravening stomach.

A few minutes later, he felt a hand on his shoulder attempting to pull him away from his meal, so he hissed in annoyance and shrugged it off.

"Hmm, you _are_ stronger than me when _I_ was first born into Darkness. Oh yes, Brother, I expect really great things from the vampire I sired," he heard a voice say, and he pulled his attention away from his food at last.

The owner of the voice was Vicente Valtieri, who then said, "And who's this, Brother? M'raaj-Dar? So, it would seem that you have an appetite for Khajiiti blood."

What did he mean? Walks-in-Shadows looked towards the bed on which his meal lay, and then understood. The only thing lying there that could possibly constitute food was a rather scruffy-looking male Khajiit in a green robe and with twin punctures in his neck from which the new vampire had been eagerly sucking the blood that was still flowing. The umbric Argonian looked back at Vicente and grinned sheepishly, inadvertently displaying the recently extended eyeteeth which had caused M'raaj-Dar's injuries.

"Sorry, Vicente," he apologised. "I just woke up _so_ hungry. I wasn't aware of what I was doing."

"No, Walks-in-Shadows," the elder vampire gently replied. "This was _my_ fault. I should have recalled that this was your day to be born into Darkness and been with you to guide you through your first feeding. Come with me now, and I'll teach you where more suitable fare can be found."

Even though the vampires had been speaking quietly, their voices had finally woken M'raaj-Dar, who felt pain and groped at the place on his neck where it was. As he discovered the evidence of Walks-in-Shadows' feeding, he glared at sire and youngling, snarling, "Foul smelling apes!" before warily watching them as they left the room, the Breton's arm around the Argonian's shoulders.

Several minutes later, the two vampires left the Sanctuary by way of its secret entrance, then walked past the Great Chapel of Arkay and across the bridge to the west side of Cheydinhal. Vicente led his youngling to the door of a house, then stopped.

"There isn't much Khajiiti blood in this town, I'm afraid, Brother," he said. "So we'll have to see if you like Orcs' at all."

Having said this, he checked to see that no guards were currenly patrolling nearby, then crouched to pick the lock on the door. Although the lock seemed to be rather more difficult than any the new vampire had so far encountered, his sire didn't break any picks at all. He must have had a lot of practice in his three hundred years as a vampire. Once the two were in the house, Walks-in-Shadows sniffed the air. While what he could smell wasn't as delicious as the other scent had been, it smelt good enough that he still had an appetite. He moved in the direction of the smell's source, his tail twitching in anticipation.

"Be particularly cautious and quiet, Brother," Vicente murmured in warning. "Orcs can sleep very lightly sometimes."

The younger vampire nodded as he crept towards the stairs to the upper level of the house, his sire right behind him. Once upstairs, he waited impatiently as Vicente showed him how to slowly make incisions so as not to wake the sleeper and how to lick the wounds so they rapidly healed afterwards, then followed suit with a different Orc. Once the two had fed, they left the house, then Vicente relocked the door with a spell.

"Why didn't you _un_ lock the door with a spell, Vicente?" Walks-in-Shadows asked.

"Because I wish to keep my hand in, Brother," the Breton replied. "I was born under the sign of the Atronach, so I don't always have sufficient magicka to use an unlock spell. Also, I don't like wasting what magicka I _do_ have on such unnecessary frivolities when it's better to reserve it for Charm, Invisibility, and Chameleon spells. Speaking of which, the sign in the sky when you appeared on Nirn was the Atronach. We'll have to see whether that's had any effect on your ability to regenerate your magicka reserves as soon as we get back to the Sanctuary."

The two vampires walked back to the east side of the town and re-entered the Sanctuary's well. Then they went into the training room where the dark Argonian repeatedly cast his Fire spell against a magically protected target before resting and giving his magic time to regenerate. After an hour of waiting, his reserves were still fully depleted, so Vicente walked to a chest in the corner and took a glowing blue stone from it. He went over to the Argonian and handed the stone to him.

This is a Welkynd stone, Brother," he said. "Just hold it in both hands and close your eyes as you concentrate on it."

"Aren't these things really rare?" the young vampire asked.

"Supposedly so, Brother, but this Sanctuary often has a large supply because I know a simple Duplication spell which I'll teach you once you've restored your magicka reserves. In fact, since there are only a few Welkynd stones left, I'll allow you to practice with one, and you may have some of what you produce. Now, close your eyes and concentrate on the stone."

So the umbric Argonian did as he'd been instructed. He felt energy of an unusual kind flooding through him, then opened his eyes just in time to see the stone he was holding collapse into a double handful of blue silicate dust. He looked questioningly at Vicente.

"Yes, that always happens, youngling. It was that result, as well as the rarity of Welkynd stones, that led me to create a Duplication spell that will work on any item except alchemical ingredients and food."

"Even stuff that's been stolen?"

"Well, Brother, I've never tried to use the spell on stolen items, but I know of no reason why it shouldn't work. Why, do you?" the elder vampire asked, looking sharply at Walks-in-Shadows.

"We have an old saying on Earth: The Lord works in mysterious ways. I just thought that maybe the Nine might prevent your spell working on things that were immorally obtained, that's all," Walks-in-Shadows said. He couldn't tell his sire the _real_ reason, that bad coding prevented players scroll duping the items their characters stole in the game.

Vicente's manner relaxed and he said, "Well, I'll now teach you the spell, and you'll have the means to test your theory if you so wish."

He taught his youngling the proper words and gestures to use in the spell, correcting him whenever necessary, and by the end of an hour, Walks-in-Shadows had created eighteen new Welkynd stones, of which he was given five by Vicente. Once both vampires' supply had been ensured, the elder one had more to say.

"I shall now set you up with my blood supplier, youngling," he said.

"You have a blood supplier?"

"Yes, Brother. Since it isn't always possible for me to feed away from this Sanctuary, I have someone to supply me with the bottled blood of various races. Of course, she doesn't know that it's not for the alchemical experiments I claim it is, so you must also claim that you're an experimental alchemist. I think you'll prefer to 'experiment' mostly with Khajiiti blood during the times that you're unable to feed outside of the Sanctuary."

"Yeah, that'd be great." Walks-in-Shadows said, licking his lips at the memory of the delicious taste of M'raaj-Dar's blood. "I'll see you later, then."

He turned, and left the training room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Vengeance in Lebensbaum'; Copyright © 2009 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for any purpose except large scale distribution subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved.  
> Adapted from 'Main Loop 2 (Shadow of Memories)'; Copyright © 2001 Miura Norikazu, Hashikawa Hana, and Yamaoka Sayaka. All rights reserved.


	16. Scaring an Idiot  and an Unusual Appearance

# Chapter Fifteen: Scaring an Idiot and an Unusual Appearance.

Walks-in-Shadows went to seek out Ocheeva in the living quarters, but when he reached them, she was still asleep. So while he waited for her to awaken, he took off his flax tunic and green felt linens before re-wrapping his loincloth around himself and donning his shrouded armour without the hood. Then he sat down on his bed to continue waiting. In the event, the new vampire only had to wait for a few minutes more, as the female Argonian, sensing some kind of change, woke up shortly thereafter. She blinked for a moment, then sat up as she recognised the umbric form sat on the bed across from the one in which she had slept.

"Walks-in-Shadows, you're better!" she exclaimed. "Did you get what you wanted?"

The young vampire nodded and grinned, showing off his new fangs, this time deliberately.

"Who did you feed from?" Ocheeva asked.

Walks-in-Shadows grinned again as he answered, "M'raaj-Dar was the first to find out that I prefer Khajiiti blood. I guess I can consider that to be payback for the triply inaccurate epithet he comes out with every time we pass each other."

"But the tenets. Surely Vicente woould have prevented that?"

"He wasn't there when I woke up, and I was acting purely on instinct when I fed for the first time, according to him."

"I see. Maybe Sithis will also realise that your assault of M'raaj-Dar wasn't a conscious act, and thus not punish you for it."

The dark Argonian's face went charcoal and scarlet as he recalled the Wrath of Sithis for the first time. "Do you think I should sleep with my Blade of Woe?" he asked.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Walks-in-Shadows. Gogron once walked into the path of one of my spells in the training room, and Sithis didn't punish me for that. I believe he'll realise that you had no control over your own actions."

"Okay, that's good to hear, but I'm still getting my Blade of Woe out before I next sleep just in case."

Now the conversation was finished, the young vampire went to Gogron gro-Bolmog's bed and shook the Orc awake. Once the green-skinned giant was fully conscious, he asked Walks-in-Shadows what he wanted.

"You know those hugs you like to give out? Well, I think I'll be able to survive one."

"Are you sure, my Brother? What if I crush you?" Gogron enquired.

"Like I said, I'll survive."

So the Orc embraced his umbric Brother, and was then surprised to hear him say, "A little more tightly, please," which request he complied with.

The moment the hug was over, Gogron asked the Argonian how he hadn't been crushed to death.

"I'm a lot stronger than when you first met me," Walks-in-Shadows grinned, and the Orc saw the fangs extending from under the new vampire's top lip.

"So now I have _two_ vampiric Brothers!" he laughed, his voice loud enough to wake everyone else in the room, who all surrounded Walks-in-Shadows with various questions.

"Is this why you were ill?" "What's it like to be a vampire as an Argonian?" "How much stronger are you?" "What's feeding like?" "How does it feel when you need to feed?"

The dark Argonian all of the questons as best he could, grinning the whole time. The last time he'd been surrounded by this many NTs, the attention had been negative, so he was basking in the attention he was receiving now. Then M'raaj-Dar entered the room.

Walking up to Walks-in-Shadows, the Khajiit snarled at him, "So _you're_ the reason my neck was injured, foul smelling ape!" He then turned to Ocheeva and said, "I'm not sleeping next to _him_ anymore, Sister. One day, I might wake up drained dry."

"That was Walks-in-Shadows' first feeding, and was unfortunately unguided," the female Argonian explained. "You're in no further danger from him, I assure you, dear family member."

"Nevertheless, I refuse to sleep in the bed next to his from now on, Sister. You'll have to get someone else to sleep next to him instead."

So Ocheeva had no choice. As the mistress of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, it was her job to keep the peace however she could. Resignedly, she asked, "Are there any family members willing to exchange beds with M'raaj-Dar?"

She'd no sooner asked this when Teinaava and Gogron both stepped forwards and announced that they didn't mind; Ocheeva's eggmate stating that he felt a kinship with any of his fellow Argonians, vampire or otherwise, and the Orc saying that he didn't think Walks-in-Shadows would ever hurt him anyway. Thus, after some debate, it was settled that Teinaava would sleep in the bed next to Walks-in-Shadows' from then on, as of thr original beds of the volunteers, his was the furthest from the vampire's.

Now that the argument was settled, M'raaj-Dar turned to leave. Beforre he got to the short passageway leading to the door of the living quarters, however, Walks-in-Shadows called out, "Thanks for removing the temptation, M'raaj-Dar!"

As the Khajiit turned back to make his usual response, the umbric Argonian grinned, baring his fangs and driving all thought of insulting him from M'raaj-Dar's head. The Khajiit blanched under his fur, then turned and left without saying a word.

"And that's how you scare an idiot!" Walks-in-Shadows announced grandiosely, causing the others in the room to burst into laughter as they belatedly realised what had just occurred.

Once the hilarity had ceased, Ocheeva walked up to the Argonian vampire and said, "Well, Walks-in-Shadows, since I'm now wide awake, I'll take you for that swimming lesson I promised."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. C'mon, let's go!"

Walks-in-Shadows eagerly dashed from the living quarters as Ocheeva followed, chuckling at the enthusiastic behaviour of her adoptive hatchling.

* * *

Walks-in-Shadows and Ocheeva left the Sanctuary via the well, then walked for fifty minutes to Lake Arrius, the nearest large body of water. Because it was deep enough to dive into and free of slaughterfish, the female Argonian knew that it would be perfect for the young vampire's first swimming lesson. She had no doubt of his fighting ability, but she wanted the lesson to be as free of interruptions as possible since she didn't know how long he would be able to stay up. The night sky would begin to lighten within the hour, and her adoptive hatchling was now nocturnal because of his new dark nature.

Once the two Argonians had reached the lakeshore, Ocheeva told Walks-in-Shadows to strip to his skin.

"Whyever for?" he asked, confused.

"Because clothing traps the water, slowing one down and making swimming harder."

So the umbric Argonian took all his clothes off while Ocheeva did the same, then he was taught how to slip into the water with barely a ripple. The female Argonian next showed Walks-in-Shadows the various positions and tail movements that he had to use, then spent the next half hour going over them until he had memorised them and was too overwhelmed to continue. On the way back to Cheydinhal, the dark Argonian realised that not only was he again hungry, but that it was also too late to find any mortal sleeping. So he asked Ocheeva what he should do.

"When we get back to the Sanctuary, you should ask your sire for a bottle of blood," she answered. "Although I'd be very much surprised to find that he hasn't given you a supply to tide you over until you have one of your own."

As soon as he and Ocheeva had re-entered the well, Walks-in-Shadows sought out Vicente in his chamber. Once he'd found the elder vampire, he requested blood as his adopted mother had suggested.

"I've given you a few bottles already, Brother, and the blood supplier will make her first delivery to you within a matter of days," the Breton explained. "I put the bottles in your chest, then relocked it."

The young vampire said his thanks, then hurried to his bed in the living quarters, and once he reached it, he picked the lock on his chest for the practice before looking inside it. True to his word, the elder vampire had left a bottle of Orcs' blood, a bottle of Redguards' blood, and two bottles of Khajiiti blood, along with a silver glass to drink the sanguineous fluid from. Walks-in-Shadows had just pulled the glass and one of the bottles of Khajiiti blood from his chest when he heard footsteps and instinctively clutched the bottle to himself, hissing. Ocheeva was coming towards him with a plate in her hand, and on the plate was a mutton salad sandwich.

She took in her adoptive hatchling's protective stance and gently said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to take it from you, little one. I've simply brought you something nice to eat."

So saying, the female Argonian put the plate on Walks-in-Shadows' bed, making sure that she didn't move too close to him or make any gestures that could be interpreted as threatening, then sat on the edge of Teinaava's bed. The dark Argonian's hissing quietened, and he looked at the bottle of blood he held and the food on the plate, clearly torn between them.

The other Argonian could sense his feelings. "You can have them both, little one," she reassured him. "Drink your blood, then eat your sandwich. Nobody will take them from you. Even Gogron wouldn't dare to steal food from a vampire, and I'm here, besides."

So Walks-in-Shadows poured himself a glassful of blood and quickly drank it before doing so a second time. He licked the glass clean of any lingering traces, then after putting his things away again and relocking his chest, he picked up the sandwich and bit into it. It didn't taste as nice as the last time he'd eaten one, but it was still good enough that he had no difficulty in consuming every crumb.

It was just as the umbric Argonian was finishing his last mouthful that he caught sight of himself in the large panel of highly polished bronze which served all of the Sanctuary's inhabitants as a full-length mirror, and he went over and stared at his reflection, thinking that something was strange. Then he realised what it was. In the game, vampirism automatically made the PC look very old, with human-like, pink-irised eyes, no matter what their race. However, Walks-in-Shadows hadn't changed the slightest bit except for the fact that his irises were now scarlet, and his vertical pupils seemed to have darkened to a deeper shade of black as a result. Relieved and happy that his changes weren't as drastic as he'd expected them to be, the young vampire changed into his flax tunic, then got into bed and fell asleep with Ocheeva's clawed hand gently caressing his scaly head, and once his slumber had deepened, his adopted mother made herself something to eat. Then she went to her own bed for a nap. She'd woken very early that morning, and hadn't really stopped since then.

All the time that he was asleep, Walks-in-Shadows' hand tightly clutched his Blade of Woe under his pillow, but the Wrath of Sithis did not disrupt his dreaming.


	17. A Contract and a Flight

# Chapter Sixteen: A Contract and a Flight.

When Walks-in-Shadows next awoke, he changed into his shrouded armour, then put his enchanted items and one of his Welkynd stones into his satchels. After donning his shrouded hood and equipping himself, he left the living quarters and sought out Ocheeva to get his first contract from her. Because it was still only evening, the female Argonian was still awake, sitting at her table, reading a book. She looked up as her adoptive hatchling entered her chamber.

"Ah, Walks-in-Shadows. How may Ocheeva be of assistance?" she asked.

"I've come for a contract," he replied. "Faelian?"

"Yes! That's astounding! How do you do that?"

The umbric Argonian shrugged as he answered, "I can't really say, although I _can_ tell you that because I'm Autistic, things that haven't happened yet sometimes already have in my head. For example, when I played 'Fallout 3', certain parts were as familiar as if I'd played a demo of it, but I couldn't have because I started renting both the console and the game on the same day."

"I thought the people of Earth _bought_ their consoles."

"Well, that's the general idea, but Sony's EULAs turn the purchase prices of its consoles and software into one-off rental fees. Of course, that meant I could safely ignore certain clauses of the EULAs of my PS3 and its games because they're void ab initio for purporting to interfere with the pre-owned trade. That's the law across the EU," the Argonian vampire stated, grinning ironically.

Ocheeva's head was spinning so rapidly from this influx of information, all she could say was, "Oh."

"So, I'll see you once Faelian's met Sithis in the Void." As he left the room, Walks-in-Shadows added, "And don't worry, Adamus Phillida will never hear a breath of me."

The dark Argonian walked across the Sanctuary towards the exit through the well, but before he could reach it, Teinaava approached him.

"Ah, my Brother," he said. "I wonder if I might have a word."

"Scar-Tail, right?" Walks-in-Shadows replied. "Don't worry, I know what I gotta do."

Whistling an adapted version of the title theme of 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion', the young vampire finally departed the Sanctuary as Teinaava stared wonderingly after him.

* * *

Although he hadn't hired a horse to get to the Imperial City, Walks-in-Shadows reached the Elven Gardens District almost as fast as if he _had_ been riding one. Standing at the gate from the Talos Plaza District, he checked his map, then set off for Lorkmir's house a short distance away, and once he reached it, waited until the patrolling Imperial Guard had passed by before crouching to pick the lock on the door, breaking several lockpicks with a lot of swearing in the process. Once he'd gained entrance, the umbric Argonian went down to the basement to find the corpse he knew would be there. After opening the door and creeping down the stairs, Walks-in-Shadows quickly located Lorkmir's body and took the iron dagger that the Nord had snatched from Faelian as he was attacked by him, then he removed his satchels and shrouded hood before equipping himself with his Chameleon enchanted items and exiting the basement to wait for the skooma addicted Altmer. Several hours later, around dawn, he succumbed to sleep.

* * *

The sound of an unneeded key in the lock of the house door startled Walks-in-Shadows awake, and it took a few moments for him to realise where he was and why. Once he had, though, he took out the iron dagger that he'd taken from the corpse in the basement and quietly took up a position near its door. As he had thought, the person entering the house was Faelian, who immediately walked to the table near the back of the room and picked up one of the bottles of skooma that were standing on it. As he did so, the invisible Argonian stabbed him in the heart with the iron dagger. Walks-in-Shadows caught the murderous nobleman's body as it fell, leaving the iron dagger within it, and took it down to the basement, placing it near Lorkmir's corpse before taking the key to the house placing it on the body of the Nord that Faelian had murdered. Satisfied with his work, the young vampire removed his enchanted items and re-equipped himself with his hood and satchels before leaving the house and setting off for the King and Queen Tavern two doors down the street.

* * *

Ley Marilin, the Imperial tavern keeper behind the bar of the King and Queen, was clearly surprised at the darkness of the Argonian who entered through the external door, then as the lizard-like humanoid approached, his expression changed to one of concern.

"Are you all right, sir?" he asked. "You're looking rather unwell."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Walks-in-Shadows answered. "It's just that I've had a long journey and I'm tired, that's all."

The Imperial didn't think so. He'd seen plenty of Argonians weary after long journeys before, and this one didn't look the same at all. However, as he'd never before seen a denizen of the Black Marsh quite so dark, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and say nothing more about it. Walks-in-Shadows ordered a room and some food, then climbed the stairs in the main room of the tavern so he could sleep till after sunset. As Vicente Valtieri had said would happen, the Argonian vampire had felt as though his scales were on fire during his dash from Lorkmir's house to the tavern, the light of the sun more painful to his eyes than it had ever been before, and he was also extremely hungry. When he reached his room, Walks-in-Shadows changed into his flax tunic and got into bed, sleep quickly making him oblivious to his pain.

* * *

Some hours after going to bed, Walks-in-Shadows woke up and changed back into his shrouded armour and hood before re-equipping himself with his weapons and satchels. It was time to leave for the Blackwood region, but before he did, he first had to feed. Leaving the room in which he'd slept, the young vampire went downstairs and to the door of the tavern's basement, picking its lock without breaking any of his remaining lockpicks, then once he had access, the dark Argonian opened the door, crept down the stairs just inside, and approached the bed of the tavern keeper. As he had hoped, Ley was lying in the double bed, next to his wife, Pista, both of them sound asleep. As silently as he could, Walks-in-Shadows crept to the side of the bed that Ley was lying in, which was the nearest to the exit, then sank his fangs into the Imperial's neck before withdrawing them again and sucking at the now-flowing blood. What he didn't know was that the suckling motions of his mouth were gradually waking up Ley, who lay there wondering what they were for a few moments. Then he realised.

The still night air was suddenly shattered by the Imperial's cry of, "Someone fetch the guards! Assault!"

The young vampire was frozen for a few moments, his lips to Ley's neck and his gaze held uncomfortably by Pista's. Then he snatched both away, ran up the basement stairs, and fled from the tavern. He didn't slow down until he was safely out of the Imperial City once more.

And as Ley gave Walks-in-Shadows' description to an Imperial City Watch officer while holding a bandage to his neck, he knew that he would forever remember what a vampire who needed to feed looked like.


	18. Nearly Headless Shadowscale

# Chapter Seventeen: Nearly Headless Shadowscale.

Two and a half hours after fleeing the Imperial City, Walks-in-Shadows reached the Bay Roan Stables outside the small town of Bravil. Picking the lock on the only door of the house, he slipped silently inside, then fed from the proprietor, a female Breton named Isabeau Bienne. This time, he was more fortunate than he had been with Ley Marillin, and Isabeau didn't awaken as he finally had his fill of blood. With his dark appetite now sated for the present time, the young vampire left the building again before sitting outside to prepare and eat a sandwich, then he carried on to Leyawiin, a journey which took a further two and a half hours. Once he reached the city, Walks-in-Shadows went straight from the northwest gate to the southernmost of the two to the east, moving as quickly as he could. He wanted to get back to the Sanctuary as quickly as possible, but he had something important to do before he did.

From the gate he had exited Leyawiin by, the dark Argonian travelled south, following the east bank of the Lower Niben, then walked eastwards along the coast of the Topal Bay. As soon as he reached a wooden bridge that led to an island, Walks-in-Shadows stopped just long enough to equip himself with his enchanted items, then went northeast to Bogwater where Scar-Tail was camping. As soon as he reached the camp, the Argonian vampire took off his satchels and quiver, strung his bow, and nocked an arrow. Taking careful aim, he released the arrow straight at Scar-Tail's head, then dropped his bow and drew his shortsword. This time, his caution wasn't misplaced, as Scar-Tail didn't fall instantly as Seridur had. Instead, with the arrow projecting incongruously from his temple, the faithless Shadowscale unsheathed his dagger and started disorientatedly searching for the archer who had fired at him. Carefully moving around him, Walks-in-Shadows got as close as he dared, then swung his shortsword at his opponent's neck. The other Argonian fell down dead, and his killer looked at his corpse.

"Nearly Headless Nick," he said out loud, "meet Nearly Headless Scar-Tail." Then he laughed at his rather morbid joke, which had been inspired by the fact that the Shadowscale's head was now attached to his body by only a meagre amount of skin and sinew.

Bending down to the Argonian corpse, the young vampire attempted to extract his arrow, but it was jammed hard in the bone of the skull and wouldn't come free. Walks-in-Shadows hissed in annoyance at the waste as he gave it up as a bad job. Since Scar-Tail's clothes had been spoiled with his blood as he'd exsanguinated, the dark Argonian decided to leave them, only opening the shirt far enough to cut the Shadowscale's heart from his chest. However, he did make sure to take the large amount of Septims from the hollowed-out rock near the campfire before setting out for the Yellow Road on the most direct route back to Cheydinhal. Three and a half hours later, he was by the well in the garden of the Abandoned House.

As soon as he had re-entered the Sanctuary, Walks-in-Shadows sought out Teinaava, and as soon as he had found him, he took the Argonian heart from the satchel he'd put it in, handing it to the Shadowscale.

"Scar-Tail murdered a Royal Argonian Agent who was sent to kill him," he stated. "Anybody who needs to know can find the body at Bogwater."

Teinaava smiled as he said, "Truly, you must have been blessed by Sithis, my Brother." Then he gave Walks-in-Shadows the Boots of Bloody Bounding, which were enchanted. The vampire said his thanks and put one boot into each of his satchels before going off in search of Teinaava's eggmate.

As soon as Ocheeva saw her adopted hatchling, she told him, "Adamus Philida knows of you, Walks-in-Shadows."

I got caught in the middle of feeding by the person who was providing my meal," he explained, "but the way I left the scene of Faelian's death means he shouldn't connect anyone from the Dark Brotherhood to the Altmer's demise."

"You're right, he hasn't. You've more than earned your payment and bonus," the female Argonian said, handing Walks-in-Shadows five hundred Septims and an enchanted bow called Shadowhunt. "How on Nirn did you manage it?"

"I just made it look like Lorkmir and Faelian killed each other, the Nord dying while defending himself. Simples," the young vampire grinned. Then he asked, "Please can we go swimming tomorrow?"

"Of course we may," Ocheeva answered. "Tell me, have you fed since the incident at the Imperial City?"

"Yeah, from a Breton in Bravil."

"All right then, I'll see you tonight."

Walks-in-Shadows left Ocheeva's room and went to his bed in the living quarters, where he changed into his flax tunic before flopping into his bed, soon falling fast asleep. Even though he hadn't fed enough, he was simply too tired to care. There would be time enough for that when he next awoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably guess, Walks-in-Shadows' joke in this chapter was inspired by a certain Gryffindor ghost from the Harry Potter books.


	19. Training and an Old Earth Adage

# Chapter Eighteen: Training and an Old Earth Adage.

When Walks-in-Shadows next woke, his sire was standing by his bed with a look on his face that the Argonian vampire couldn't decipher.

"You haven't fed enough, youngling," Vicente bluntly said. "Come with me. I also need to feed, and I wish to test your abilities as well. To use one of your Earth sayings, I'd like to kill two birds using only one stone. You should equip your darkest clothing."

So Walks-in-Shadows put on his black wide pants and his dark shirt, then for good measure, wrapped his feet in cloth instead of wearing boots. Once he was ready, Vicente led him through the well and to the house next door to the one the two vampires had visited on the night of Walks-in-Shadows' birth into Darkness. Outside of the house, Vicente told his protégé to pick the lock on the door, which instruction he followed, breaking several lockpicks with much swearing in Al Bhed as he did so.

"Excellent, Brother. That's a very hard lock, and I half expected that you wouldn't be able to pick it at all," the Breton said. "Now, let's continue."

The two vampires entered the building and climbed the stairs within to where some Orcs were sleeping in a few beds. Vicente told his youngling to wait until he'd fed and left the house before feeding himself. Walks-in-Shadows complied, twitching his tail with hunger and impatience as he watched his sire take his fill. Then the elder vampire finally finished and left the room, and as soon as he heard the building's external door close, the umbric Argonian himself went over to an Orc, made his incisions, and began to feed. He was nearly done when Vicente's voice cut the air.

"Assault! Assault! Fetch the guards!"

The younger vampire again froze while feeding, this time because of his sire's perfidy. Then, as the Orc whose neck was under his lips stirred, he tore himself away to flee down the stairs and through the door of the house, then once outside, he jumped from the wall of one house to the wall of its nearest neighbour like Lara Croft or the Prince of Persia, quickly gaining the safety of the rooftops in this manner. He then jumped from the roof of the house he'd just fled to the roof of the other, lying down flat before opening his mouth wide to quieten his strident breathing as much as he could.

On the roof that his youngling had jumped from, Vicente, equipped with Chameleon enchanted rings, stood proudly watching his protégé as he displayed abilities that his sire had never taught him. Then, once the officers of the Cheydinhal Town Guard had left the house beneath him, he jumped across to the other rooftop, removed his enchanted rings, and put his hand on the Argonian's shoulder. Walks-in-Shadows turned, and recognising the elder vampire, attacked him, hissing and making sneezing noises as he did so. His ferocity was such that, despite being over three centuries the elder, Vicente had trouble restraining his youngling. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was in fact only several minutes, the Argonian vampire had tired himself out sufficiently that he was much calmer.

"You betrayed me!" he snarled, angrily.

"No, Walks-in-Shadows," the Breton gently replied, "that was the test, and again you've far exceeded my expectations. Tell me, where did you learn that trick of jumping between two parallel vertical surfaces to gain height? Also, your breathing should have been quite loud, but I was barely able to hear it. How?"

However, the younger vampire wouldn't answer these questions, his sire's apparent treachery too fresh in his mind. He became aware of some strange feeling, because of Vicente's proximity to him, that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Get off me, oui vilgehk credrayt!" he snarled.

"I'm not sure that I should, Brother. You might attack me again, and you're very strong for a vampire child."

"Get off me! I don't like to be touched."

So, carefully and warily, the elder vampire released Walks-in-Shadows, who immediately sat up and drew his legs up, hugging his knees as he rocked himself, moaning. Tears began pouring down his scaly cheeks, and Vicente automatically moved towards his protégé and started caressing his crest to comfort him. Despite his professed dislike of contact, the dark Argonian began to tunelessly hum and his tears soon ceased their flow as, with his eyes half-shut, he leant into the hand that was creating the soothing sensation which was now his entire existence.

Suddenly, Walks-in-Shadows was startled out of his reverie by Vicente's voice saying, "We've been here too long, and we both need to feed again. Especially you, youngling, although I allowed you as much time as I could before starting your test."

The reptilian humanoid was torn. His vampiric instincts were screaming at him to feed as far away from his betrayer as possible, but his brain was telling him that he should keep a close eye on the elder vampire.

Somehow sensing this, Vicente said, "Don't worry, today's training is now over, and I shall never again interrupt your feeding in that manner. Come, I'll allow you to feed first this time."

So saying, the Breton jumped to the ground, then picked the lock on the door that he and his protégé had had their confrontation on. Walks-in-Shadows followed, and was surprised that his impact upon landing didn't hurt as it would have just two weeks prior. At that moment, Vicente gained entrance to the house and disappeared inside, the umbric Argonian close behind him. The Orcs inside had resettled themselves from the disturbance next door, and had now been sleeping for several minutes, the affray above them surprisingly not having disturbed their slumbers. As soon as the elder vampire entered the area where they lay, he stepped aside, allowing his youngling to go ahead of him. Walks-in-Shadows went over to the opposite side of one of the beds beforre starting to feed, carefully keeping watch on Vicente as he filled his stomach. Then once he'd finished, he watched as his sire began to feed himself before quietly going downstairs and leaving the house again. The moment he was outside, the young vampire gained the rooftops as he had before, and then it was _his_ voice that shattered the night-time peace.

"Help! Assault! Somebody fetch the guards!"

Inside the house, it was Vicente's turn to freeze in shock. Then, as a large green fist narrowly missed him, he realised just what a light sleeper the Orc he'd been feeding from was. He turned and fled from the building, gaining the safety of the rooftops the same way his protégé had, though without the same speed and agility.

It took an hour for the officers of the Cheydinhal Town Guard to leave this time around. Two vampire attacks in one night, both in houses next door to each other! They would need to be thoroughly investigated. Once the night was again still, Vicente felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Walks-in-Shadows, who had been carefully hidden.

The dark Argonian was laughing as he said, "Now you've learnt the value of _another_ old saying from Earth: treat others as you wish to be treated yourself! Perhaps the next time, you could just tell me the details of any test _before_ I undertake it."

With a rueful smile on his face, the elder vampire agreed, then the two of them set off homewards.

* * *

Once the two vampires were back in the Sanctuary, they went to the living quarters, where Vicente cut open two bread rolls and spread them with butter before slicing some venison and placing the meat on one half of each roll. As he made to close the sandwiches, though, Walks-in-Shadows stopped him.

"I've had an idea," he explained.

Taking some strawberries from the bowl in which they were kept, he used a clean knife to slice them before laying the slices on top of the meat and closing the sandwiches. Then he handed one to his sire.

"Go ahead, try it."

Vicente took the sandwich, a look of suspicion on his face, and cautiously bit into it. As he chewed, however, his expression changed, first to suprise, then to one of bliss. He ate his sandwich more quickly than his youngling did his own.

When he'd finished, the Breton said, "You're like a Dark Gift from the Night Mother Herself. That was astoundingly sublime."

"Now you know why people on Earth like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so much," the Argonian vampire replied, grinning. "The combination of sweet and savoury is _so_ much better than either flavour alone. If you could try meat paste and chocolate spread sandwiches, they'd blow your mind! I miss them loads since I had to stop eating them as a little kid."

Vicente asked what chocolate spread and meat paste were, and his protégé spent some time explaining. By the time he'd finished, it was nearly dawn, so the two vampires used the latrines, then went to their separate quarters. Walks-in-Shadows was so wearied by the night's events that when he reached his bed, he simply stripped from his armour and dropped it to the floor, then got into bed, not even bothering to put his things on the covers before crashing into an exhausted, coma-like sleep.


	20. Breaking of a Tenet

# Chapter Nineteen: Breaking of a Tenet.

Just before sunset, Walks-in-Shadows woke up and lay in bed for a few seconds, wondering what he'd forgotten. Then he remembered: swimming! Shooting into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, the Argonian vampire dressed in his shrouded armour, then went to see Ocheeva in her chamber. He knocked on the door and opened it.

"Will you take me swimming now, please?" he requested.

His adopted mother looked at him sympathetically as she replied, "I'm sorry, Walks-in-Shadows, but we can't go anywhere tonight."

"But you _promised_!" the umbric Argonian whined.

"You're right, I _did_ promise, but what you and Vicente got up to last night has caused the Cheydinhal Town Guard to hire vampire hunters who wander the streets even now. You're both currently in too much danger to even _think_ of leaving this Sanctuary, little one."

"Vilg _cred_!" Walks-in-Shadows yelled as he stalked away to find his sire and call him a fyhgan.

Once Vicente had been suitably insulted, the dark Argonian went back to the living quarters. He unlocked his chest, using his key this time, and looked inside. Slamming the lid closed, he picked the locks on his Dark Brethren's chests in the room and looked inside those before searching through all of the various shelves and containers, then stormed from the living quarters and to the training room, where he rifled through the chests and barrels. By this time, others in the Sanctuary were aware of the young vampire's actions, so while he was going through Ocheeva's desk, she asked Vicente what the matter might be.

"I don't know, Sister," the Breton replied. "His instincts have once again taken him over, so he wouldn't understand the question if I were to ask him."

After going to Vicente's room and failing to find what he was searching for there, the Argonian vampire returned to the main part of the Sanctuary, where he knelt in the middle of the floor, rocking and trembling.

* * *

When Gogron gro-Bolmog walked into the Sanctuary through the Ancient Black Door, drinking cheap wine straight from the bottle, he was immediately attacked by Walks-in-Shadows, giving the two Executioners their answer at last. As the Orc did his best to restrain his youngest Brother, Vicente said, "It looks as though someone's stolen the bottles of blood I gave Walks-in-Shadows from his chest, Sister, and now he's trying to find them. I'll have to go and get him a replacement to quickly end his current behaviour."

"I told him that nobody would dare to steal food from a vampire, dear family member," Ocheeva replied. "He'll probably never trust another word I say."

"Once my youngling's fully aware again, Sister, he'll probably realise that his blood was stolen despite your words," the Breton stated, then he left to fetch a bottle of blood from the secret cavity in his sleeping slab.

The elder vampire returned to the main part of the Sanctuary with a bottle of Imperials' blood and rolled it across the floor, and hearing the chinking sounds it made, Walks-in-Shadows immediately stopped attacking Gogron and chased it, snatching it up and scuttling under the tallest of the room's two tables with it. Once he felt more secure, he uncorked the bottle and took a couple of large swigs from it, but his mind only partially cleared as his stomach filled. He resealed the bottle, but didn't let go of it and didn't re-emerge from his hiding place.

"I was afraid of this, Sister," Vicente sighed.

"What do you mean, dear family member?" Ocheeva enquired.

"Because Walks-in-Shadows has had some blood, his mind has cleared a little, Sister. However, because it's not the blood that was stolen in the first place, nor that of the thief, he still hasn't returned to full awareness. We'll have to keep an eye on the others in this Sanctuary until we've worked out where his blood is and taken it back for him."

Just then, their attention was arrested by sneezing noises coming from under the table. Gogron was crouched by it, trying to talk his Dark Brother out from beneath.

The Breton vampire called out, "No, Brother!" but he was too late.

As the Orc turned to Vicente, the sneezing noises increased in pace, then an umbric snout flashed out and Gogron cried out in pain as Walks-in-Shadows' fangs sank into his leg. He fell over, and scrambled away in a panic.

When Ocheeva went over to see if the Orc was all right, he said, "I was only trying to ask my Brother why he assaulted me, my Sister. I thought he liked me."

Vicente then came over and answered, "He does like you, Brother, but someone has stolen his blood and he won't be back to normal until he's regained it. Do you have any ideas that might aid us in helping him?"

"Well, my Brother," said Gogron, "M'raaj-Dar's been looking particularly devious lately. Maybe you should watch him as he sleeps to see if he's visited by anything supernatural, or even if he sleeps at all."

"Thank you for your information, dear family member," Ocheeva responded. "Will you stay here and keep watch over Walks-in-Shadows to prevent the others from getting too close to him?"

"Of course I will, my Sister. He's my Brother and my friend. I'll do whatever it takes to help him."

With the problem of the Argonian vampire's welfare taken from their hands for a time, Vicente and Ocheeva decided that the Sanctuary mistress would watch M'raaj-Dar during the day, and her fellow Executioner would take over for the night. In the event, however, neither of them had to watch the Khajiit at all.

* * *

After a number of hours, M'raaj-Dar returned from fulfilling a contract. As he wearily made his way from the well to the living quarters, he was unaware that under one of the tables was someone with a nose sensitive enough to smell the lingering traces of the blood of Redguards and Orcs. Walks-in-Shadows shot out past Gogron, who'd fallen asleep by this time, and launched himself at the Khajiit, snarling, "My blood!" as he did so. This commotion woke the Orc, who immediately got up and went over to where his youngest Brother was sitting on M'raaj-Dar's chest and making threatening noises at the green giant as he approached. Gogron immediately left to fetch Vicente, whose watch it was.

When the Orc returned to the main area of the Sanctuary with the Breton vampire following him, Walks-in-Shadows still had M'raaj-Dar pinned to the floor, switching his tail back and forth as he snarled, "Give back blood!"

"I haven't _got_ your blood, foul smelling ape!" the Khajiit growled, clawing at the Argonian who was sat on him.

M'raaj-Dar fought for only a few minutes, then suddenly stilled, as did the two observers, when Walks-in-Shadows threw back his head and let out the bellowing roar of a T. rex. All of a sudden, the air was filled with noise as everyone in the living quarters came out, asking what the sound had been, Ocheeva arriving from her chamber with the same enquiry. Startled and angered by all the clamour, the umbric Argonian made a rapid series of sneezing noises, and when this warning signal went unheeded, roared once more. Again the room stilled, and everyone stared dumbfoundedly at Walks-in-Shadows, who was now sniffing at his captive.

"Give back blood, s'wit!" he spat, baring his fangs at the Khajiit.

Everyone else in the room was surprised that he knew a Dunmer curse which was heard outside of Vvardenfel only on extremely rare occasions, and even Vicente looked shocked at his language.

"All right, all right! I hid it in the chest of drawers on the top floor of the house," M'raaj-Dar finally growled. "Now let me up!"

However, Walks-in-Shadows continued to hold him down, snarling, "Give back blood!" and sniffing at him from time to time.

"I'm afraid it's not so easy as all that, Brother," Vicente stated coldly. "You stole my youngling's blood, not only driving him to his current state, but also potentially endangering the one who must now fetch what is his as well as yourself."

"Then I'll go and get my Brother's blood," Gogron volunteered.

He turned and left the Sanctuary the way he'd previously entered it, returning in just a few minutes with the four bottles in his arms.

Putting the bottles on the floor and stepping back again, the Orc said, "I've found your blood, my Brother."

The Argonian vampire turned his head, saw the bottles, and finally relessed his captive to go and pick them up, as well as picking up the bottle of Imperials' blood that he'd left under the table when accosting M'raaj-Dar. He went up to Gogron, sniffed at him, then grinned before stalking away with his bottles of blood. Vicente made to follow him, but was stopped by Ocheeva.

"No, dear family member," she said. "I think the last thing that he needs right now is another vampire around his blood supply."

The Breton nodded, seeing the sense in this, and left his fellow executioner to follow Walks-in-Shadows into the living quarters.

Once she was through the door, Ocheeva went down the short corridor and over to the table to to make a sandwich, puting it on a plate and taking it to her adoptive hatchling who sat on his bed, holding his bottles. When Walks-in-Shadows realised that the other Argonian was approaching him, he clutched the bottles more tightly and hissed.

Ocheeva sat on the edge of Teinaava's bed and said, "You need to feed, little one. Don't worry, I shan't take anything from you."

She sat patiently for almost half an hour before the young vampire was sufficiently relaxed in her presence to open one of the bottles that had been stolen and take several short swigs from it, warily watching her as he did so. As his stomach filled this time, though, his mind cleared completely and he put his bottles into his chest at last, locking it firmly. Then he sat back on his bed as his adopted mother sat next to him and gave him the sandwich. He thanked her and ate it, then visited the latrines before changing into his flax tunic and getting into bed, Ocheeva giving him a short account of what had occurred earlier once he was lying down.

"Well, M'raaj-Dar's got a visit from the Wrath of Sithis to look forward to then, hasn't he?" Walks-in-Shadows stated. "I'd say I was sorry about that, but I'd be lying."

The dark Argonian gave a single shudder in reaction to the night's events before closing his eyes. As he drifted into a badly needed sleep, the Sanctuary mistress caressed his head, then once her adoptive hatchling's breathing became slow and deep, she set a magical trap on his chest which would be triggered by anyone but herself or Walks-in-Shadows attempting to unlock it or open it in any way. Then she sought out her eggmate and made arrangements to switch beds with him for a short time, as she thought that her vampiric hatchling could use the comfort of her presence until he was completely over what M'raaj-Dar had put him through.

With everything she could think of sorted out, Ocheeva went to bed herself. It was now a couple of hours before daybreak, and she'd had very little sleep.


	21. An Incidence of Somnambulism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter contains the scene that may require the rating of this story to upped. If so, please let me know in the comments.

# Chapter Twenty: An Incidence of Somnambulism.

For some strange reason, Vicente Valtieri wasn't awoken by the unfastening and pulling off of his black wide pants, nor by the hasty and clumsy removal of his loincloth. He was, however, awoken by somebody he couldn't make out in the darkness climbing on top of him, then pulling his legs up after pushing them apart with their bulk. After another moment, the vampire felt teeth grasping his shoulder and scaly, clawed hands on his hips before also feeling a warm, moist, hard rod poking about on his perineum and between his buttocks. The rod then entered the Breton with a pleasant burn, and thrust back and forth until it was fully seated within him, soft barbs at its base holding it in place within his rectum. After this, the shadowy form held itself still as the rod twitched against Vicente's prostate, sending lightning bolts of sensation to his brain and causing his already stirring manhood to fully stiffen, the rubbing of slightly rough belly scales against it having only helped this process. At this point, the rod - no, hemipenis - inside the vampire was surrounded by a hot, thick fluid, causing him to shoot his own load, then it was withdrawn, Vicente's assailant hissing gently in satisfaction as he left the room.

Disappointed that the other male hadn't stayed for post-coital conversation, the Executioner hastily got up and pulled his pants back on, then went after his mate . That had been the only sex he'd had from anyone in decades, and while he'd only ever slept with females before, he'd rather liked the strange new sensations. He followed the Argonian form into the main area of the Sanctuary, then gave a start as the beastman entered the brightly lit area around one of the tables. His youngling!

Once seated by the table, Walks-in-Shadows reached across to it and picked up thin air from its surface. He brought the nothingness in front of himself, then also brought his other hand it front of him until it looked like he was holding air in both of them, his forefingers crooked out awkwardly and his thumbs held above the other three fingers of each hand. As his sire watched in bemusement, the younger vampire started moving his thumbs and forefingers as though pushing, pressing, and holding down invisible switches, then he began to speak.

"Vilgehk _ramm_ , not again! That's it, no more buying ubisofts from Ubisoft. I don't give a cred _how_ good the Assassin's Creed series is, I still shouldn't have to be turning my controller back on every few seconds. Wunch of bankers!"

He put the Scotch mist he was holding onto the table, got up and crossed the floor approximately three feet, then knelt down and pressed the air about a foot above it as he picked up more air with his left hand. He grasped nothing with the forefinger and thumb of his right hand before placing it into his empty left one, the fingers of which he closed partially until it looked like he was holding an invisible something that he put aside, grabbing more air with the same hand. Walks-in-Shadows brought the fingers of both hands near each other, opened them simultaneously until they were palm to palm with a quarter inch of air between them, then plucked emptiness from his left hand, placing it into the air in the same position he'd taken the other nothing from before giving a slight push. Then he crossed back to the table, picking up the air he'd put down earlier.

The young vampire adopted a high, not quite childlike tone as he started singing:

"Mr. Bubbles, Mr. Bubbles  
Are you there? Are you there?  
Come and give me lollies  
Come and bring me toffees  
Teddy bear, teddy bear"

Then Walks-in-Shadows began to giggle before declaiming in a ghoulish tone, " _I'll_ be your Big Daddy, all right. Then I'll rip the Parasite from your body and suck out all the Adam. Ain't no Splicers gonna _dare_ mess with _me_ , not with all the Plasmids _I'll_ have. Oh, yeah!"

As he started cackling maniacally, everything fell into place for the vampiric observer. His protégé was clearly sleepwalking while dreaming that he was back in his own world, playing games on one of his consoles. He must have been sleepwalking during his encounter with his sire, as well. The Breton went over to Walks-in-Shadows and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Time for bed, youngling," he said. "Turn your game off now."

"Aw, Mam! Do I gotta?" the umbric Argonian whinged. "I've only just re-entered Rapture and I haven't met my first Little Sister yet!"

"Bed, now," the elder vampire said more firmly. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

So Walks-in-Shadows pushed his invisible switches a few more times, then placed his double handful of nothing onto the table, muttering, "Evil cow!" as he did so. Then he and Vicente went into the living quarters and the Breton got his youngling back into bed, placing his things at his back as he knew he preferred. Once the younger vampire was settled once more, his sire crossed to Teinaava's bed and shook Ocheeva awake.

The female Argonian sat up, rapidly blinked several times, then asked, "What's wrong, dear family member?"

So Vicente told of all that had occurred from the time he'd been awoken, blushing as he described how his youngling had had sex with him.

"Oh, dear," the Argonian executioner said. "Walks-in-Shadows has come into his season early, dear family member, and the trauma of last night's events must be causing him to walk in his sleep. With these two things together, he's seeking out his chosen mate with no control over what he does."

"I didn't know that Argonians have 'seasons', Sister," the vampire responded.

"The mating season is the time when all Argonians get together, dear family member. The reason that our females can hatch eggs all year round is because we have a special place within our bodies in which to store the male's fluids until such time as we use them for fertilisation. A lot of females want to hatch Shadowscales for the prestige it brings them, while others wish to avoid bearing hatchlings who are tied into service for life and unable to raise nestlings of their own." As the female Executioner said this, a tear glistened on the scales of one cheek as her situation was brought to light.

"Ah, I see, Sister," was all that Vicente could say. Then he continued, "What about Walks-in-Shadows? Although one might say that he ravished me, because I enjoyed it and he was unaware of his actions, it feels more like _I_ committed the violation. I shouldn't be able to bear the guilt if I allowed it to happen for a second time."

"Don't worry, dear family member. I'm now awake and will keep watch over my little one for the rest of the day."

"Thank you, Sister," Vicente replied, then he walked back to his chamber, mulling over the events of the morning so far.

* * *

Half an hour before sunset, Walks-in-Shadows again got out of bed and exited the living quarters. Ocheeva, who had been watching over him as she'd promised, followed as he again went to Vicente's chamber. On this occasion, however, the elder vampire was absent because he was in the training room, having words with Antoinetta Marie over her propensity to use garlic in her cooking. The umbric Argonian looked at the empty sleeping slab for several seconds, then began keening for his chosen mate. Before he could let out a roar as he had that morning, Ocheeva put a hand on his shoulder and shook him awake. Walks-in-Shadows' eyes cleared and he looked about himself in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked in a voice slightly hoarse from tiredness. "How did I get here? Where the hell's my loincloth!?"

"I put your loincloth in your chest, little one. You left it in the middle of the floor this morning."

"No, I didn't. I was wearing it when I went to sleep."

"You were sleepwalking," Ocheeva gently explained. "You got out of bed, took off your loincloth and left it on the floor, then went to Vicente's room and mated with him."

"That's not possible! I mean, I don't even _like_ sex."

"Nevertheless, that's what happened. You've come into your season early, Vicente's your chosen mate, and because you were walking in your sleep, your Argonian instincts were given free rein."

All the young vampire could do was stand there, looking stunned at these revelations until Ocheeva gently took his arm and led him back to the living quarters, where he mutely sat on the edge of his bed to wind his loincloth back around himself before donning his green felt linens. Several minutes later, the Sanctuary's other inhabitants entered the room and started preparing for bed.

It was only as he was drinking a glassful of Redguards' blood that Walks-in-Shadows said, "I hope he isn't angry with me."

"Who, Vicente? No, he's not angry with you, little one. He realises that you couldn't help what you did."

"Oh, that's good." After saying this, the dark Argonian drank another glassful of blood before getting a book out and sitting on his bed to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Mr. Bubbles'; Copyright © 2006 Emily Ridgway. All rights reserved. (Adapted from 'Frére Jacques'; Public Domain.)


	22. "I Told You That I Don't Like to Be Touched."

# Chapter Twenty-One: "I Told You That I Don't Like to Be Touched."

For several hours, Walks-in-Shadows sat reading on his bed with only the sounds of his Dark Brethren's quiet snores and mutters around him. Then, as a very different sound caught his attention, he looked up just in time to see the Wrath of Sithis materialise by the bed of M'raaj-Dar.

The scene that awoke all the others was extremely different. As the Khajiit was standing by his bed, firing Frost spells at the phantom, the young vampire was jumping up and down on his own, laughing gleefully and singing:

"Hello! ma baby  
Hello! ma honey  
Hello! ma ragtime gal  
Send me a kiss by wire  
Baby, ma heart's on fire!  
If you refuse me  
Honey, you'll lose me  
Then you'll be left alone  
Oh, baby, telephone  
And tell me I'm your own!"

The ruckus must have disturbed Vicente and Teinaava also, for after just a few minutes, they burst into the living quarters, coming to a sudden standstill as they took in what was happening. When the Argonian noticed the hyperactive antics of his fellow beastman, he gave way to raspy peals of laughter. The Breton looked sidelong at him.

"Why are you laughing, Brother?" he enquired.

"Look at him, my Brother. He's just like a nestling," Teinaava explained, pointing at the umbric Argonian and laughing harder.

It was at this point that Walks-in-Shadows changed his song. Ceaselessly bouncing on his bed and chortling, he sang:

"Wrath of Sithis to you  
Wrath of Sithis to you  
Wrath of Sithis, dear M'raaj-Dar  
Wrath of Sithis to you"

At these highly apposite lyrics, Teinaava's laughter degenerated to breathless, raspy cackling, and he sank to his knees, his legs unable to support him any longer. All this was too much for Vicente. Striding over to his youngling's bed, the elder vampire grabbed Walks-in-Shadows and attempted to restrain him as he kicked and struggled. The dark Argonian fought so agitatedly that Vicente had to call for Gogron to help him. Once Walks-in-Shadows was securely held by the Orc, still kicking out and lashing his tail, his sire started stroking his crest in order to calm and soothe him, and after several moments, the younger vampire's resistance ended as he began to hum tunelessly, leaning into Vicente's caressing hand with his eyes half-shut.

"You may release my youngling now, Brother," the Breton said to Gogron, who relaxed his hold while still supporting Walks-in-Shadows as he crooned in the Orc's arms.

Now that the room had calmed somewhat, it was possible for the elder vampire to observe that M'raaj-Dar was winning his fight against the Wrath of Sithis, and after a few more minutes and several more Frost spells, the wraith finally fell.

"At least I got _something_ ," the Khajiit growled as he picked up the Dagger of Discipline that the phantom of vengeance had dropped upon its defeat, as well as using an empty bottle to collect the ectoplasm it had left behind as it disappeared.

By this time, Teinaava's laughter had long since ceased, and everyone else had gone back to bed. Vicente asked Gogron to lay his protégé on the floor, suggesting that the Orc also go to bed, which he did a minute after M'raaj-Dar. As Teinaava left the living quarters while everyone else returned to their disturbed slumbers, the Breton gradually ceased rubbing Walks-in-Shadows' crest. When the umbric Argonian emerged from his trance and sat up, he noticed that the fight was over.

"Oui vilgehk fyhgan!" he spat at Vicente. "You made me miss all the fun!"

"I'm sorry, youngling, but I couldn't in all conscience allow you to continue behaving as you were. The room was chaotic enough with M'raaj-Dar's battle going on."

"Yeah, serves him right! That's why I wanted to be there for the whole thing, but _you_ had to go and drag me away, then hypnotise me!"

"I didn't hypnotise you, Brother. I used your sweet spot to calm you down."

"Sweet spot?"

"Every Argonian has a place somewhere on their body that causes them to enter a trance-like state when it's caressed. Yours happens to be your crest, Brother. I discovered this fact accidentally when I comforted you as you wept after our confrontation on that rooftop the other night."

"Yeah? Well, stop using it. It gives you an unfair advantage."

"I realise that, but you're so strong that even Gogron has trouble restraining you, so an unfair advantage becomes necessary as an extreme measure."

"I wasn't being extreme when you grabbed me."

"No, Brother, but you became extreme after I had."

"I told you that I don't like to be touched. You shoulda listened to me, oui credrayt!"

"I apologise for that, Brother, but you still had to be stopped. You were hardly behaving in a manner appropriate to the situation, and as your sire, it falls to me to undertake your discipline as well as your training."

Walks-in-Shadows made no reply to this, instead glaring at Vicente as he got up and stalked to his bed, which he flung himself upon before singing:

"I want to break free  
I want to break free  
I want to break free from your lies  
You're so self-satisfied, I don't need you  
I've got to break free (yeah)  
God knows, God knows I want to break free"

Picking up his book from the floor where it had fallen, he resumed reading it as the elder vampire left the living quarters, confused and upset. He'd never lied to his youngling, so why would he think that he had? Also, he only ever had the welfare of his Dark Brethren in mind when making his decisions, and was never smug about about any positive outcome that resulted from them, so he was far from being self-satisfied. And despite what Walks-in-Shadows might believe, he _did_ need his sire, for guidance and training if nothing else. The Breton, his heart sore, made for his own quarters.

* * *

Vicente had only just passed the door to Ocheeva's room, where Teinaava was once again sleeping peacefully, when he heard rapid footsteps approaching him from behind. He turned just as Walks-in-Shadows drew to a halt.

"Listen," the younger vampire panted, "you know that spell you taught me? Why exactly can't you dupe food and that with it?"

"You can, Brother," the Breton answered, "but duplicated food tends to taste bad, and duplicated alchemical ingredients often have the wrong effect."

"Are those the _only_ issues?"

"What do you mean, Brother?"

"Well, if I was to dupe Glow Dust, for example, would even the most discerning alchemist be able to tell the difference before consuming a potion he made from it?"

"Ah, I see. No, Brother, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference until he felt the effects of the potion."

"Gaaaaawd! Oui _yna_ y telgrayt. If you'd told me that at the start, we coulda been outta here _yonks_ ago!"

Having said this, the dark Argonian turned and dashed back in the direction he'd originally come, leaving his sire to smile and shake his head in bemusement before carrying on to his chamber.

* * *

Once the Argonian vampire had re-entered the living quarters, he opened his chest, pulled out the bottle of Vampire Ash he'd placed in it so long before, and duped it twice. He put the original away again before getting out a Welkynd stone and using it to replenish the magicka consumed when he'd learned the spell, as well as what he'd just used. With this done, he secured his chest once more before going over to Telaendril's bed and shaking her awake.

The Bosmer woke up and blinked a few times, then sat up as she saw Walks-in-Shadows.

"Hello, Brother," she said sleepily. "What is it you want?"

"How would you like to have two vampires owe you a massive debt of gratitude?" the dark Argonian enquired.

Telaendril's eyes held a gleam of interest as she asked, "How exactly would _that_ come about, Brother?"

Walks-in-Shadows grinned. "If you go to the leader of the vampire hunters and tell them you've ended the vampire attacks, offering these as evidence," he held up the duped bottles of Vampire Ash, "then they'll leave, and me and Vicente can move about outside of the Sanctuary again."

"That's a very clever idea, Brother," the Bosmer laughed. "I'll do it, then the two of you can go out tonight."

She put the bottles of ashes away in her chest, then went back to sleep as her co-conspirator sat back down on his bed to read for the last hour until sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Telephone Rag'; Public Domain.  
> 'Wrath of Sithis to You'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for any purpose except large scale distribution subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'Good Morning to All'; Public Domain.  
> 'I Want to Break Free'; Copyright © 1984 John Deacon. All rights reserved.


	23. Freedom at Last

## Chapter Twenty-Two: Freedom at Last.

The sky above the Abandoned House was orange with the light of the rising sun when Ocheeva came to Walks-in-Shadows' bedside, holding a large parcel in her arms.

"You've had a delivery, little one," she said, passing it to her adoptive hatchling.

The moment it was near enough, the young vampire snatched the package from her, then sat hugging it while watching her warily. Realising what must be inside the parcel, the female Argonian backed off a few feet in order to allow Walks-in-Shadows to feel secure enough to open it. Once the bottles were safely locked in his chest and his mind was fully clear again, the umbric Argonian apologised for his recent behaviour.

"It's all right, little one. You're still young, so you won't have the control over your instincts that Vicente has."

"How did _he_ learn to control them?"

"He didn't, Walks-in-Shadows. His control is something he gradually acquired during the first few decades after his birth into Darkness. That's why I understand when you act in certain ways and don't hold your resultant behaviour against you. Now feed while I get you a sandwich. What would you like?"

While Ocheeva was busy getting the beef and strawberry sandwich that had been requested, Walks-in-Shadows drank two glassfuls of Bretons' blood, then used the latrines. Not long after that, his adopted mother returned with a sandwich for each of them, and they ate together before the vampiric Argonian changed his clothes and got into bed. As he lay down, Ocheeva went to caress his crest as had become her habit, this time reaching for his crest. She had only just touched it, however, when he pulled away, hissing in agitation and distress.

"What's wrong, little one?"

So Walks-in-Shadows recounted what his sire had told him about his sweet spot, explaining that although he enjoyed the feeling while under its influence, he felt vulnerable that it was known about by someone else, especially since the elder vampire had discovered it before his youngling, who hadn't even suspected its existence prior to the previous night.

"I understand how you must feel, little one," Ocheeva stated. "Nevertheless, Vicente is right. You're very strong for a vampire so young, and that means such measures must sometimes be taken. However, I'm sure that your sire won't abuse his knowledge of your sweet spot and will only use it when he feels it's warranted. After all, he didn't use it on the night that M'raaj-Dar stole your blood."

By this time, the others in the living quarters were now awake and were getting up. As they rose from their beds, Walks-in-Shadows used one of his melodies from the previous night to sing:

"Good morning to you  
Good morning to you  
Good morning, dear Brethren  
Good morning to all"

As M'raaj-Dar's hackles rose in anger, Teinaava, who had just entered the room to talk to Gogron, again burst into laughter. Ocheeva was forced to supress a smile of her own as she told her vampiric hatchling off.

"What?" he asked, all injured innocence. "Those are the original lyrics that were registered for copyright a hundred and eighteen years ago, except that I switched out the word 'children' for the word 'Brethren'."

"Is that a fact, little one?"

"I swear! What I just sang are the tune and lyrics written by two kindergarten teachers in the US. I was only saying good morning to my Dark Brothers and Sisters in the way I know best! It was what I sang the night before last that brought the original song to mind."

So Ocheeva had to apologise to the dark Argonian, who gave a smug smile that she didn't catch. Then he asked to go swimming that evening.

"I _can't_ take you. Those vampire hunters are still in Cheydinhal, remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do. But they'll be gone by this afternoon, then me and Vicente'll be able to go where we like, when we like. So I'd like to go swimming."

"How do you know that the vampire hunters will be gone?"

"Let's just say I arranged for somebody to get rid of them."

"I see," Ocheeva said, unease filling her. Whatever did Walks-in-Shadows mean? However, as he'd already been up too long for a vampire his age, she simply allowed him to lie back down before stroking his head as he went to sleep, being careful to avoid his crest this time. The umbric Argonian only walked in his sleep once that day, and his adopted mother was easily able to get him back to bed when he did so.

* * *

It was half an hour before sunset when Ocheeva woke Walks-in-Shadows.

"The vampire hunters are gone and we may go swimming," she stated. "Now tell me, how exactly did you get rid of them?"

Just then, Telaendril entered the living quarters, having just returned from her Turdas patrol, and the young vampire dashed over and hugged her, singing, "Thank you, thank you, thank yooooooou!" while doing so.

The Bosmer laughed and said, "That's quite all right, Brother. It was a lot of fun getting rid of those steel-skinned fools so easily, and I'm sure the townspeople would thank us if they could after the harrassment they endured."

"You asked Telaendril to kill the vampire hunters for you, little one?" the female Argonian enquired, much disturbed. If that was the case, even more would be hired, and they would be much better armoured the next time around.

"No, Sister," Telaendril herself interjected. "Walks-in-Shadows asked me to tell them that I'd killed him and Vicente, taking along two bottles of Vampire Ash that he provided as proof of his apparent deed."

Ocheeva laughed. "I'll have to tell Lucien about this. The subtlety and effectiveness of your plan is something he'll enjoy immensely!"

"Yeah, whatever," Walks-in-Shadows responded as dressed in his shrouded armour, "but can we go swimming now?"

"Just as soon as you've fed, little one," was the answer.

So the dark Argonian hastily gulped down two glassfuls of blood, then he and his adopted mother set off.

* * *

Once they reached the shore of Lake Arrius, the two Argonians stripped down to their skins, then Ocheeva spent the next couple of hours teaching Walks-in-Shadows more and allowing him to practice. After this, they set off back to the Sanctuary because the female Argonian was the one who was tired on this occasion. On the return trip to Cheydinhal, Walks-in-Shadows, full of the joys of spring, started singing:

"Blue sky to forever  
The green grass blows in the wind, dancing  
It would be a much better sight with you, with me  
If you hadn't met me, I'd be fine on my own, baby  
Never felt so lonely, then you came along  
So now what should I do?  
I'm strung out, addicted to you  
My body aches, now that you're gone  
My supply fell through  
Gladly gave me everything you had and more  
You craved my happiness  
When you made me feel joy it made you smile  
But now I feel your stress  
Love was never meant to be such a crazy affair, no  
And who has time for tears?  
Never thought I'd sit around and cry for your love  
Till now"

When he'd finished, Ocheeva looked at him in admiration and asked, "Where do you come up with all your songs, little one?"

"Oh, various places," the young vampire replied. "Either I write whatever inspires me to already existing melodies, or I hear something that's easy for me to remember, like the song I just sang. The repetition caused by the fact that it's in one of my favourite games doesn't hurt, either!"

"So what about what you were singing on the night of M'raaj-Dar's battle?"

"The first song wasn't mine, the second was. The lyrics were, anyway. It's a good job I'm in Mundus or Warner Music Group would probably want royalties for my use of the tune even though it's been Public Domain in the UK for as long as it has been in the US. Fyhganc!"

Then, using the same tune for a third time, he sang:

"This tune's Public Domain  
This tune's Public Domain  
So it's free, WMG  
'Cos it's Public Domain!"

Once the young vampire had finished, his adopted mother asked him, "How do you know so many songs, Walks-in-Shadows? How do you write them?"

"Because I'm Autistic, I've always felt like music's my whole life, and I'm also hyperlexic, so I've always been good with words," he replied. "In fact, if I ever get back to Earth, I might be able to write the story of my time here, though I doubt anyone would believe it."

"Well, I believe you about Earth, as do Lucien and Vicente, so why would anyone there not believe you about Nirn?"

However, "It's complicated," was all that Walks-in-Shadows would say on the subject.

By this time, the two Argonians were back at the well, so they entered it to return to their underground home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Good Morning to All'; Public Domain.  
> 'You're Not Here'; Copyright © 2003 Joe Romersa. All rights reserved.  
> 'This Tune is Public Domain'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for all purposes except large scale distribution, subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'Good Morning to All'; Public Domain.)


	24. Further Training and a Plan

# Chapter Twenty-Three: Further Training and a Plan.

As soon as the two Argonians had re-entered the Sanctuary, they went to the living quarters, where Ocheeva prepared for bed while Walks-in-Shadows made them each a sandwich. Once the female Argonian had eaten hers and was lying under the covers of Teinaava's bed, her adoptive hatchling knelt down beside her.

"Now I'll help _you_ to sleep," he smiled.

Gently stroking her head as she had done for him so many times before, Walks-in-Shadows sang:

"Close your eyes, Zelda, go to sleep  
Impa will stand watch over you  
Close your eyes, Princess, go to sleep  
Impa will be here

I'll stand watch over you  
I will be here with you  
I'll keep you safe all through the night"

As she drifted into sleep, Ocheeva murmured, "That _is_ nice."

Just then, Vicente entered the room and said, "Come on, youngling. It's time to test your fighting abilities."

"What will I be fighting?" the umbric Argonian asked, getting up and going to his chest.

"Well, since you didn't seem to have too much trouble with a wolf before you were born into Darkness, Brother, I thought I'd test you against a black bear," his sire answered.

"Oh, goody. I enjoy a challenge," was Walks-in-Shadows' sarcastic rejoinder as he equipped himself, then after he'd fed, he and the elder vampire left the living quarters.

* * *

Once outside of Cheydinhal, the elder vampire took Walks-in-Shadows to an area near Lake Poppad, surprised that his protégé was so easily able to keep up with him already. Then, as they reached their destination, the young vampire stopped short.

"Oh, tysh," he cursed.

"What's the matter?" Vicente asked him, able to see where his youngling was only because of the faint shimmer around his ninety-five percent Chameleoned form.

"I didn't think I'd need an empty bottle."

"I happen to have one I can give you, but what do you want it for?"

Walks-in-Shadows gave no answer to this, but simply grinned as he held out his hand for the offered bottle, which his sire gave to him. Then the dark Argonian shot a Fireball at the area behind the sleeping bear he was there to fight. Vicente wondered why his protégé was wasting his magicka reserves in this way, then as a ball of light suddenly appeared and retaliated with a spell of its own, the Breton suddenly understood. A will-o'-the-wisp! Even _he_ hadn't seen it, so Walks-in-Shadows must have astoundingly good vision if he'd been able to. After a few more minutes and several balls of Fire, the will-o'-the-wisp fell, and the Argonian vampire collected the Glow Dust it left behind in the bottle he'd been given. He handed the bottle back to the elder vampire, then drew his shortsword as he approached the bear, which was somehow still sleeping.

With a holler of some indiscernible emotion, Walks-in-Shadows started running towards the bear and slashed at it, and as it woke up and swung a heavy paw at the place where he had been, the umbric Argonian let out a yowl such as a Khajiit might give when in sudden pain. Then, for several minutes, he ran around the creature, slashing at it and barking like a dog before letting loose with a T. rex roar as he had when he'd had M'raaj-Dar pinned to the floor of the Sanctuary. As the bear stopped still in sudden fear and confusion, Walks-in-Shadows used this opportunity to draw his sword across its throat, bringing its life to its premature end. He removed his Chameleon enchanted gear, then knelt by the large corpse and very clumsily skinned it before cutting the meat from its bones with only slightly more skill. He was so engaged in this task that he was startled when his sire suddenly spoke.

"I see that I'll have to teach you how to skin and butcher a bear correctly," the elder vampire stated.

"Yeah, and everything else. I don't know how to do this stuff properly 'cos on Earth, meat doesn't come still on the animal for most of us."

Vicente nodded in understanding. Lucien had repeated for him all that the Argonian had said about the world whence he came, but the Breton vampire hadn't been able to credit some of what he'd heard. However, the scene he'd just taken in had provided ample evidence of the veracity of Walks-in-Shadows' words. He'd displayed the skill level of someone who'd witnessed these things done at some distance, but never engaged in them themselves.

After wrapping the pieces of bear meat in several clean, large green leaves and folding the fresh pelt, the young vampire put them away in his satchels before turning to his sire with a grin.

"So, good enough?" he asked.

Vicente gave him a thoughtful look as he responded, "Yes, youngling. Tell me, how did you see that will-o'-the-wisp?"

"I didn't, I simply knew it was likely that the bear would be accompanied by something, and could sense what it was and where when I got here. The reason I didn't think to bring an empty bottle with me is 'cos the odds were greater of what was with the bear being a spriggan, and you don't need a bottle to keep a taproot in."

"And how did you produce the sounds you made, youngling?"

"I'm one of those Autistics to whom mimicry comes naturally."

"Khajiit yowls, yes. Barking like a hound, maybe. But I've never before heard _anything_ like the roar you produced in my entire life, Brother. Where exactly did you hear _that_?"

"A misspent childhood watching the Jurassic Park trilogy too many times. What you heard was the roar of the Tyrannosaurus rexes from those movies." He produced a series of sounds that were a blend of hacking and high-pitched barking, grinning as he did so.

" _What_ , by Sithis, was that, Brother?"

Walks-in-Shadows' grin increased as he answered, "The call of a velociraptor as it's hunting. You never want to hear _that_ sound if I'm not the one making it. Those things were very quick, very ferocious, _very_ intelligent, and always hunted in packs. Against raptors, a humanoid would have _no_ chance."

"I see, Brother. It's very interesting that you can produce those sounds at will. I _had_ thought that you only did so whilst under the force of your instincts."

"How come?"

"Because the only time I ever heard you produce that Tyrannosaurus rex roar before tonight was during the time you had M'raaj-Dar held captive. Listen, Brother, I've had an idea."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Vicente told Walks-in-Shadows his plan, and the umbric Argonian laughed as he listened. He began preparing himself as his sire asked various questions, then the two vampires entered the well to the Sanctuary, beside which they had been stood for the past several minutes.

* * *

The loud, deliberate clicking sounds approaching Antoinetta Marie's bed only woke her partially, it was the throaty rattle she heard that woke her up fully. She sat up in bed, wondering what this thing could be. Then she listened, staring wild-eyed, as the invisible whatever-it-was loudly sniffed at her before moving on. The thing went to the next bed, its feet clicking loudly with every step it took. It sniffed at M'raaj-Dar, then gave vent to a peculiar barking, hacking sound as one of its feet clicked rapidly. It was this call that awoke all the other sleepers in the room. As they sat up, asking each other what this thing could be, it was obviously disturbed as it went up to and sniffed at each of them before returning to M'raaj-Dar. Once there, it sniffed at the Khajiit again as its throat rattled, then repeated its call, causing M'raaj-Dar to literally soil himself with fear. Then, in a melodious tenor, the thing started singing:

"Take me out to the ball game  
Take me out with the crowd  
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks  
I don't care if we never get back  
Let me root, root, root for the home team  
If they don't win, it's a shame  
And it's one, two, three strikes, you're out  
At the old ball game"

It was only once the song had finished that Vicente's quiet laughter, which had begun during the second line, could finally be heard.

"Well done, youngling!" he called out. "And did velociraptors _really_ hunt like that?"

The thing, whom the others could see was Walks-in-Shadows now he'd unequipped his Chameleon enchanted jewellery, grinned as he replied, "No, they were never invisible. But then, I don't happen to look like a raptor!"

He went to his bed, his feet clicking loudly with every step he took, then sat down and removed his satchels, sword belt, and boots before removing the flat pebble that he'd tied to the sole of each. As he replaced his footwear, Ocheeva put a flea in his ear.

"It was his idea!" the young vampire retorted, pointing at his sire. "I only supplied the knowledge and the special effects."

"That's true, sister," Vicente confirmed. "I came up with the plan when I found out just what my youngling can do."

"Well, you shouldn't have done that, dear family members," the Sanctuary mistress replied. "You don't know what effect it may have had on M'raaj-Dar."

"I can _smell_ the effect it had from over here," Walks-in-Shadows piped up. "And he's got the cheek to call _me_ foul smelling!"

At these words from his protégé, the elder vampire, who could also smell the Khajiit's excrement, again started to laugh as M'raaj-Dar finally got up and went into the latrines to clean himself and his loincloth, growling in embarrassment as he left the room.

Once the Khajiit was gone, Ocheeva said, "Go on, dear family members, go out and feed before the sun rises."

The two vampires obeyed this instruction with alacrity, this time feeding at a house nearer the Sanctuary than those they customarily fed at. Then they returned to eat and go to bed.

Some minutes later, while Ocheeva was stroking her adoptive hatchling's head as he lay in bed, she said, "I'm really supposed to punish you and Vicente for what the two of you did to poor M'raaj-Dar, but I won't as long as you promise not to antagonise him any further."

"I won't do anything else to him as long as he leaves _me_ alone," was the reply. "That's all I can promise."

"That's good enough, I suppose."

"Cool. Love you, Ocheeva," Walks-in-Shadows responded as he drifted into sleep.

And all that day, he didn't sleepwalk once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ('Take Me Out to the Ball Game'; Copyright © 1908 Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. All rights reserved.)


	25. A Strange Ability and Roderick's Saviour

# Chapter Twenty-Four: A Strange Ability and Roderick's Saviour.

As soon as he awakened that night, Walks-in-Shadows got ready to go out, then went to see Ocheeva about a contract, standing across the table from her. She put down the book she was reading and went to get the bottle of poison that was necessary for this contract. When she returned, her adoptive hatchling was reading the book she'd left face up on the table with great interest and amusement, but when she got back to the table, the female Argonian saw the book hadn't been moved in any way.

Amazed, Ocheeva asked, "You can read it like that, little one?"

Walks-in-Shadows absent-mindedly nodded his head, clearly engrossed.

"Wait here," the female Argonian said, going off once more, this time to fetch parchment, ink, quills, and a small panel of highly polished bronze that Vicente used for shaving. She wished to test the young vampire's ability to see how far it went. With the aid of the mirror, she wrote down a short poem that she knew by heart, then passed the page to Walks-in-Shadows and asked him to read it aloud. So he read:

"If you are the lantern, I am the flame;  
If you are the lake, then I am the rain;  
If you are the desert, I am the sea;  
If you are the blossom, I am the bee;  
If you are the fruit, then I am the core;  
If you are the rock, then I am the ore;  
If you are the ballad, I am the word;  
If you are the sheath, then I am the sword."

When he'd finished, Ocheeva asked, "Did you know that's written backwards?"

"I noticed," was the response, "but it makes no difference to me. I can read and write in any direction."

So Ocheeva asked the umbric Argonian to copy a page of the book that she'd been reading, but to write the words backwards. He complied with this request, writing entirely in large and slightly messy block capitals, then handed the page to his adopted mother, who used her mirror to check his work with astonishment clear in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell anyone of this ability before?" she enquired.

"Nobody ever asked me if I could read in any other way than the usual one," he shrugged, "and it isn't something I tend to show off. I got in trouble for it so many times in school before, you see."

"Ah, I understand," Ocheeva said. Then she saw an expression of feral hunger in Walks-in-Shadows' own eyes. "I'm sorry, little one, I've been keeping you from your feeding. I'll let you go now." So saying, she gave the bottle of poison to the dark Argonian, then started to write a note informing Lucien of her vampiric hatchling's extraordinary gift.

Walks-in-Shadows left the Sanctuary and went next door to Ganredhel's house. While he liked the character his own had often heard rumours from in the game because of their shared love of dogs, blood was blood, and he was too ravenous to risk feeding from any member of a race notorious for sleeping lightly. Once his hunger had been sated, he left the house and set out for the area of Sutch.

* * *

It took the umbric Argonian eight hours to reach the Brina Cross Inn beyond the town of Kvatch, which was in the process of being rebuilt. Because he'd known that his journey would take some time, he'd stopped in Skingrad to feed before continuing. Now he was most of the way towards his destination, he decided to stop for the day. Nine hours of almost non-stop travel had made him very tired, so once inside the inn, he purchased food, two bottles of mead, and the use of a bed from the Breton innkeeper, Christophe Marane. He didn't actually need the fluids with his new diet, and nothing now tasted as good to him as blood did, but he _did_ like the fermented and spiced honey drink. After going up to the room he'd hired, Walks-in-Shadows made and ate a sandwich, then drank his mead. With his first mouthful, the Argonian vampire sat straight up in surprise, his mouth zinging. Oh, wow! This one had cinnamon, his favourite spice because of all the Fireball Jawbreakers and Big Red chewing gum he'd consumed in his own world. With his eyes half-closed in bliss, Walks-in-Shadows drank his mead slowly, holding each mouthful to make it last as long as he could. Once he'd swallowed the last drop, feeling regret that he couldn't make it last forever, the reptilian humanoid got ready for bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Several hours later, Walks-in-Shadows awoke, got dressed and ready, then left his room and went downstairs. As he caught sight of Christophe, who was cleaning drinking vessels, the young vampire feigned tiredness by loudly yawning, making sure to cover his mouth so his fangs were concealed as he did so. The innkeeper looked at him in concern.

"If you're so tired, sir," he asked, "why don't you sleep for the rest of the night?"

Walks-in-Shadows shook his head. "I can't," he replied. "I'd lose my job. I'll be glad when I get off the night shift, though. Bye!"

"Goodbye, sir," Christophe replied, then turned back to the stone tankard he was drying as the beastman left the inn.

The moment Walks-in-Shadows got outside, he used the privy, then walked north-northwest for half an hour until he reached Fort Sutch. Checking his map of the Gold Coast region to find the likely reason for his quick journey made him laugh.

'It's just like all the wikis say,' he thought with amusement. 'There's "No Sutch Town" to pass through!'

* * *

Once at his destination, the dark Argonian searched the area until he came to the tumbled remnants of a tower which surrounded a trapdoor. Equipping his Chameleon enchanted items, he picked the lock of the trapdoor and slipped inside, then followed the passageway beyond it until he encountered Laenafil, the female guard patrolling it, picking her pocket for the key she possessed. Once he had it, Walks-in-Shadows carried on up the passageway until he got to the gate it unlocked, which couldn't be picked in the game, then as soon as he was through it, the young vampire made his way along the upper level of the fort until he'd reached the free-standing cupboard that held the medicine he was supposed to replace with the bottle of poison Ocheeva had given to him. Carefully checking that no guards were around, Walks-in-Shadows opened the cupboard, took the medicine and duped it, then slipped the copy into one of his satchels after replacing the original.

Lying deeply unconscious on his bed, the sick man heard a strange voice say, "Sorry, mate." Then he felt a sharp pain in his neck followed by scaly lips suckling at the pain's location for several minutes. Once his wounds had been healed with a few licks and the mouth had left his neck, the owner of the mysterious voice had more to say to him.

"Listen, Roderick. I won't do what I was sent here to do, and you should test the loyalty of all your guards after you come out of your coma. Dormez bien."

Walks-in-Shadows left the warlord's bedside, sneaked up to Ulmug gro-Cromgog, the guard who, in the game, always said how pointless guarding Roderick was, and bashed his head in with a chunk of fallen masonry. Sithis would require the entry of a soul into the void if he was to be satisfied with this contract. After carefully hiding the body of the Orc, the Argonian vampire left through the trapdoor he'd entered by, cautiously replacing the gate key into Laenafil's pocket along the way. Once out of the fort again, Walks-in-Shadows set off back to Cheydinhal.

It was after another eight hours that the umbric Argonian reached the Black Waterside Stables outside of Cheydinhal's west gate, and he immediately picked the lock and slipped inside to feed before re-emerging into the faint first light of dawn, then entered Cheydinhal proper and made his way back to the Sanctuary, where he sought out Ocheeva. After giving her the duped bottle of medicine and receiving his bonus of the Deceiver's Finery, an enchanted black and burgundy outfit, along with his payment of five hundred Septims, the young vampire went to the table to make himself a sandwich before carrying it back to his bed to eat it. Once he'd sat down on top of his covers to eat, his adopted mother gave him some news.

"You've been doing very well, little one."

"I have?"

"Yes. In fact, if you don't sleepwalk today, then Teinaava will be able to have his bed back tonight."

"I bet you'll both be glad of that. When you're used to sleeping in the same room as others, it's hard to sleep on your own, and vice versa. That's the reason I've been sleeping better lately; because it's so rare for anyone else to sleep in here during daylight hours, and I never shared a room before coming to Mundus."

"You also seem to sleep better after I've caressed your head, little one."

"Probably because my mam does that on nights I have trouble falling asleep, and it really helps. I think it's part of my Autism."

"I see. Would you like me to do that _every_ morning, Walks-in-Shadows?"

"Yeah, please. It's really nice and comforting, helps me feel less like I don't belong here."

The young vampire got ready for bed, then slipped under the covers, putting his things at his back as usual. Once he was settled, Ocheeva began to stroke his head.

"Would you rub my crest today, please?" Walks-in-Shadows requested.

"Are you sure, little one?" came the surprised response.

"Yeah. Like I said, it feels really good when I'm under, and besides, I trust you."

So the female Argonian started caressing her adoptive hatchling's crest, and he leaned into her hand, tunelessly humming with his eyes half-shut. It was while he was in this trance that he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ('Love Song of Severnesse'; Copyright © 2002 Cecilia Dart-Thornton. All rights reserved.)


	26. The Argonian Mating Season

# Chapter Twenty-Five: The Argonian Mating Season.

It was an hour before sunset when Ocheeva heard from Lucien that he would like to investigate Walks-in-Shadows' unusual talent for himself, so she sought him out to let him know. However, when she got to the living quarters, the young vampire was nowhere to be seen. When the female Argonian asked those of her Dark Brethren who were in the Sanctuary if they'd seen her adoptive hatchling, they could only reply that they hadn't, so she headed towards Vicente's room to ask him.

When Ocheeva reached her fellow Executioner's chamber, she knocked on the door and went in. It was then that she saw the two vampires lying entwined in each others' arms on the sleeping slab, fast asleep. Angrily, she shook Vicente awake, and he carefully extracted himself from his partner before going to sit at his table. Once seated, he asked the female Argonian what she required.

"I thought you felt guilty for mating with Walks-in-Shadows!"

"If he had been sleepwalking again, Sister, I would. However, he was fully conscious when he came to me an hour ago, explaining that his urges are too strong for him to deal with and he has no way of sorting them out by himself."

Since Ocheeva didn't believe the elder vampire, and because she was so angry with him, she did something that she'd never done to any of her Dark Brethren before; she struck him. Walks-in-Shadows, who had been awoken by the tension in the atmosphere, immediately sprang across the room and attacked her, driving her to the ground with the speed and ferocity of his assault, making a series of sneezing noises as he did so. After sitting there stunned for several moments, Vicente finally grabbed his youngling, pulling him onto his lap as he kicked and struggled, and started rubbing his crest to calm him.

Once the dark Argonian was leaning into his sire's hand, quietly crooning with his eyes half-shut, Vicente asked Ocheeva, who was just getting up again, if she had any idea as to why his youngling had reacted in such a way to a simple slap.

"It's because you're Walks-in-Shadows' chosen mate, dear family member," she replied. "If I hadn't forgotten myself, I would never have dared to even touch you with him in the room. During his season, he'll act protectively towards you, and will also act aggressively towards anybody who threatens you or whom he feels is competing with him for your affections. If he's like other Argonians in most ways, that is."

"What do you mean, Sister?"

"Walks-in-Shadows is the first Argonian to choose a mate of the same gender as himself, as well as the first to select one who's of a different species, dear family member. It may be because he's not from Nirn, as we mate mostly for procreative purposes, and only rarely for pleasure. All that aside, though, he'll have to stay with you until the mating season is over. My hatchling's too much under the force of his Argonian instincts now to do otherwise."

"Why has Teinaava never been like this, Sister?"

"Because we were raised together from hatchlinghood, I'm not a suitable mate for my eggmate. Our relationship is too close, dear family member."

"Ah, I see, Sister," was Vicente's only response. During the conversation, he'd gradually ceased caressing Walks-in-Shadows' crest, and the young vampire hissed warningly at the female Executioner as she got slightly too close to his chosen mate for comfort.

"Of course," Ocheeva continued, backing off once more, "you'll both have to feed together, eat together, _be_ together at all times. While I shan't be able to give Walks-in-Shadows contracts of his own while he's in his current state, he'll have to accompany you on yours, so full Chameleon will be a necessity for both of you if you're to avoid coming too close to others who may immediately be attacked by him. This also means that I'll have to disappoint Lucien."

"Oh? How so, Sister?"

Ocheeva explained about the umbric Argonian's unique literary abilities and how she'd sent a note to their Speaker about them, then read out the reply she'd received.

"I see," the elder vampire stated. Then he turned to Walks-in-Shadows and asked, "How many _more_ surprises do you hold, youngling?"

But the beastman only gazed at him, his tail twitching slightly. All that was in his mind now was coupling with and protecting his chosen mate.

* * *

All that night, Walks-in-Shadows and Vicente did everything together, the young vampire strutting close by his chosen mate and hissing warningly at any of his Dark Brethren that he felt were too near. By morning, nobody in the Sanctuary was unaware of the elder vampire's unusual bond with his youngling, and he was slightly embarrassed by all the attention this garnered. At dawn, the two vampires fed, ate, and prepared for bed. Then they coupled once more before falling asleep, again wrapped in each others' arms.

* * *

Several hours after sunrise, Lucien Lachance arrived at the Sanctuary through the well, then made his way to Ocheeva's quarters, the note she had sent him the previous day in his hand. Peremptorily knocking on the door, he entered without waiting for answer, and immediately began to speak.

"What do you mean, it's Walks-in-Shadows' season and he's selected a mate, dear Sister?" Looking around briefly, he then continued, "I don't see him with you. Was this message just a pretext?"

"If you'll come with me, dear family member, all shall be explained," the Argonian said, then she led the Black Hand member to Vicente's chamber.

Once Ocheeva reached her destination, she knocked on the door and waited until she heard the words, "It's safe to enter," before doing so, closely followed by her Speaker.

Lucien strode into the room as the female Executioner left, and saw Vicente sat at his table with a book, the young vampire lying on the sleeping slab behind him, fast asleep. The Imperial started to speak as he approached his friend.

"Is your youngling ill again, dear Brother?"

"No, Brother, he's in perfect health."

"Then what, exactly, is going on, dear Brother?"

"I wouldn't-" was all that Vicente had time to say before Walks-in-Shadows, who had once again been awoken by the changed atmosphere in the room, launched himself at his Speaker, hissing with rage. Fortunately for Lucien, the elder vampire had this time retained enough presence of mind to immediately grab his youngling, calming him with his usual method.

"What, by Sithis, was all that about, dear Brother?" Lucien asked, panting slightly in shock.

"Walks-in-Shadows does that whenever he feels that someone's threatening me or competing with him for my attentions, Brother. He's very protective of me." Vicente replied.

"You mean to say that _you're_ his chosen mate?"

"Apparently so, Brother."

"How is that possible, dear Brother? You're neither female nor an Argonian."

"The fact that I'm male either makes no difference to my youngling, Brother, or he's attracted to other males. He did say that that the people of Earth are sometimes born with a preference for those of their own gender or both, if you recall. He's obviously one of those people. As for my not being Argonian, neither was Walks-in-Shadows before his arrival in Mundus. It's natural that he would gravitate towards those who look most like the humans of his own world."

By this time, the Executioner had again ceased rubbing Walks-in-Shadows' crest, and the young vampire made a series of sneezing noises at Lucien, who hurriedly backed away. The dark Argonian then laid a possessive hand on his sire's arm as he warily watched the Imperial's every move.

"But how do you cope with mating, dear Brother?" asked Lucien.

"Oh, the sensations are rather unusual, but enjoyable enough," the Breton replied airily. "You should try it, Brother."

His friend gave an imperceptible shudder as he said, "I see, dear Brother. However, I have far too much to do. Farewell for now. I'll return to test your youngling's abilities when the mating season is over."

Having said this, Lucien left the room and exited the Sanctuary to return to Fort Farragut, only pausing long enough to say goodbye to Ocheeva on his way.

* * *

Over the next three months, wherever Vicente was, his youngling was right by his side. This actually caused problems during more than a few of the elder vampire's contracts because of Walks-in-Shadows' propensity to attack anyone he felt was too close to his chosen mate, including one disastrous incident in which the umbric Argonian nearly had his tail cut off, causing his sire to have to exhaust his magicka reserves and supply of healing potions in order to save it. Fortunately, Vicente's efforts had been more than successful, and one would have had to lift the scales on Walks-in-Shadows' tail to see the thin, silvery lines which were all that remained as evidence of what had happened. After this, the Breton felt unable to accept any further contracts until his mate's season was over. The Argonian vampire had already nearly lost his tail, Vicente had no wish to see him lose his life.

On one occasion before that, the elder vampire had been forced to paralyse his youngling when the target took the sounds of their mating as evidence of a haunting and fled in terror, and when he got back to the place he had left him, Walks-in-Shadows was nearly catatonic. It was with a lot of trouble that Vicente got him back to Cheydinhal, using a makeshift travois, and when Ocheeva was able to examine him without the trouble that she and her fellow Executioner had been expecting, she diagnosed consequential brumation.

"As I've told you, dear family member," she stated, "he has to be with you all the time. If he isn't, this is the consequence."

Vicente subsequently spent a long eleven days in his room at the Sanctuary, cradling an utterly unresponsive Walks-in-Shadows, and great was his relief when his mate finally began to show signs of improvement. These had become evident when the younger vampire finally roused out of his vegetative state in order to feebly kick, claw, and lash his tail at Ocheeva during an examination, forcing his sire to rub his crest in order to quell his weak attempts at protective violence. After that, Walks-in-Shadows made a steady rate of progress and eventually accompanied his chosen mate on other contracts until after the one where the target tried to sever his tail with a battleaxe. After this occurrence, another examination was required, during which, the two Executioners had a discussion.

"I was wondering if you might be able to explain why Walks-in-Shadows' vocabulary has reduced to not much more than my name and declaring that I'm his, Sister."

"I don't know either, dear family member. Even the strongest lust leaves a male Argonian with a vocabulary of at least two hundred words and- Of course!"

"What is it, Sister?"

"When I told my hatchling what occurred while he was walking in his sleep, he said that it wasn't possible because he doesn't like to mate. It's probable that he's closed his mind off from his current circumstances. I just hope that it doesn't cause any psychological damage."

"If that's the case, it's likely that he's closed his mind as a form of defence to _prevent_ psychological damage, Sister." After saying this, the elder vampire pressed a kiss to his oblivious youngling's forehead, causing Ocheeva to smile.

"You really love him, don't you, dear family member?"

"Of course I do, he's my Child and Brother in Darkness, as well as my mate."

It was during the two vampires' enforced confinement when the worst event of all occurred, however. On the day it took place, Antoinetta Marie was on the rota for cooking, and as was her wont, added garlic to the stew without bothering to make a separate portion for Vicente. As everyone started eating, Walks-in-Shadows' nose began to twitch, then he snatched his sire's bowl from him and poured its contents onto the floor. The elder vampire immediately spat out the mouthful he'd already taken, realising that the dark Argonian probably had a good reason for his actions, but it was too late.

While Vicente's lips and tongue swelled up, his youngling calmly stalked up to Antoinetta Marie, said, "Hurt my Vicente," then grasped her head in both of his hands and twisted it sharply, instantly breaking her neck. He then allowed her body to drop to the stone floor as he went to support his chosen mate in a seated position as he coughed and wheezed, wondering if Antoinetta Marie's death had come too late to save his life.

* * *

Several weeks after Vicente's bout of anaphylaxis, which he'd barely survived, Walks-in-Shadows' season ended. At first, his sire didn't realise because the umbric Argonian was singing, and that was something he'd done every night throughout this time. Just then, however, something that was different about his youngling's singing caught the Breton's ear; rather than simply humming tunefully as he had for the past three months, the younger vampire was actually singing in words. The lyrics that he sang were:

"Blood, blood, glorious blood  
Nothing quite like it, it just tastes so good  
So follow me, follow, down to the hollow  
And there we will swallow some marvellous blood"

When Vicente turned in his chair towards his sleeping slab, he saw Walks-in-Shadows sitting there and grinning at him, completely himself once again.

"Did _you_ write that, youngling?" the elder vampire asked.

"Just now," was the response. "Did you like it?"

"It's certainly interesting, Brother, but you'll have to be careful where you sing it. Perhaps you should save it for places where you _want_ mortals to be running in fear!"

"It's just a shame I promised Ocheeva I wouldn't tease M'raaj-Dar anymore."

"She hasn't managed to extract any such promise from me, Brother."

"Yeah, but the song wouldn't be quite as effective if you were singing it. _I'm_ the one who fed on him, after all."

"How do you feel now that your season has ended, youngling?"

"Well, my head's finally clear again, and I'm glad I'm no longer under the force of an instinct I don't understand that makes me do something so alien to my nature. I'm also glad that I don't remember most of it. What about you?"

"My feelings are ambivalent, youngling."

"Why, Vicente?"

"I'm unsure why, Brother," the Breton replied.

However, this wasn't actually the case. The elder vampire simply didn't know how to tell his youngling that he would miss the time they'd spent together, especially mating, despite the fact that coupling up to five times a day for three months had been rather exhausting.

"Okay, smell ya later!" Saying this, Walks-in-Shadows left the room to go to the living quarters and change into his shrouded armour and hood before going out to feed.

And as his youngling walked away, Vicente memorised the phrase he'd just heard. It would make great ammunition against M'raaj-Dar!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Glorious Blood'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for all purposes except large scale distribution, subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'The Hippopotamus Song'; Copyright © 1956 Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. All rights reserved.)


	27. Testing an Unusual Ability

# Chapter Twenty-Six: Testing an Unusual Ability.

After changing into his shrouded armour, Walks-in-Shadows left the Sanctuary and went next door to Ganredhel's house to feed before returning. As soon as he re-entered by the well, he sought out Ocheeva to get his next contract from her. However, she had some news for him.

"You can't go out on a contract yet, little one. The Speaker's coming here to see you."

"What the vilg for?"

"He wishes to test your exceptional talent for himself, and your sire has agreed to let you use his room for the visit."

"Yeah? Well, you can tell Lucien to shove it up his old wazoo! I wanna get out of here. It's been I don't know how long since I was last able to think clearly, and I don't want to waste any opportunities by stultifying. Now please, give me a contract!"

"I'm sorry, Walks-in-Shadows, but the Speaker absolutely insists on seeing you. You'll have to stay here until he has."

At this, the young vampire stormed from Ocheeva's chamber, singing:

"All around me are familiar faces  
Dunmer places, Orcish faces  
Bright and early for their daily races  
To be murdered in my contracts  
The mead is filling up their stone mugs  
Least they're comfy in their own world  
Hang my head, can't even drown my sorrow  
What's tomorrow? What tomorrow?

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad  
The dreams in which I'm human are the best I've ever had  
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take  
While I roam as a vampire, it's a very, very…  
Strange world, strange world

This Tamriel World  
Strange world"

When he slammed through the door of the living quarters, Ocheeva, who'd heard every word of his song as it echoed through the Sanctuary, looked sad. She'd never before realised just how troubled her adoptive hatchling was. He still missed his own world to a great extent, that much was clear, and at that moment, the female Argonian wished she knew a spell to send him home again. She would miss him a lot if he were to leave, but that would be a price worth paying to make him happy once more. Sighing deeply, Ocheeva returned to her desk to carry on with Sanctuary business until she went to bed. She was up late because she had a lot to do, especially with the Speaker's impending visit.

* * *

Ocheeva wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when the loud knock at her door woke her. She groggily called out, "Enter!" then sat up in bed just as Lucien entered the room.

"Greetings, dear Sister," the Speaker said. "You wrote that Walks-in-Shadows' season is finally over?"

"Yes, dear family member, right on schedule. My hatchling is probably waiting for you in Vicente's quarters as we speak," the female Argonian replied before informing Lucien of the young vampire's response to her news. Then she went back to sleep as the Imperial left her chamber.

Walks-in-Shadows heard the door of Vicente's chamber open, and looked up to see Lucien Lachance closing it again.

"Couldn't you just have waited till I'd completed another contract?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm afraid not, assassin," the Speaker answered.

"You're what?"

"Afraid not, assassin."

"You mean you're tied in the middle and unravelled at both ends?"

Lucien was puzzled for just a few seconds, then he understood what the umbric Argonian was talking about and chuckled wryly.

"Very clever, assassin," he said. "Now, to business. I've come to see you about something rather important."

"Yeah, my 'exceptional talent', as Ocheeva calls it. Why couldn't you just take her word for it?"

"Ordinarily, I would, assassin. However, such a skill is so uncommon that I have to see it for myself to believe it."

"Yeah? Well, believe this!" Walks-in-Shadows retorted while flipping the Imperial the bird.

While Lucien had never seen the gesture before, he recognised it to mean something like "Go suck Sithis' Dark manhood!" and this infuriated him. Striding across to the table, he grabbed Walks-in-Shadows' shoulders in both hands, then was forced into a defensive position as the Argonian vampire _erupted_ from his grasp, clawing and kicking at him before scuttling away across the floor and kneeling on it, holding himself as he rocked and moaned. The Speaker swore in frustration, then went to fetch Ocheeva. When he returned, the female Executioner following him, Lucien indicated the dark Argonian, who was still in meltdown, and asked what the matter might be.

"I don't know, Brother. That action isn't something typical of Argonians, so I've never seen it before. I'll have to ask Vicente if he's got any idea what this might be about."

The female Argonian left to seek the elder vampire, who fortunately had no contract that night, and explained to him that Walks-in-Shadows was making some strange movement she didn't understand, at which he asked to see for himself.

Once Vicente saw the state his youngling was in, he immediately asked what had preceded it.

"Is it a vampire thing then, dear family member?" Ocheeva enquired.

"No, Sister," the answer came. "It seems to be a self-comforting action unique to Walks-in-Shadows. The only time I've ever seen it before was after I had to restrain him on a rooftop outside the Sanctuary. He said at the time that he doesn't like to be touched."

"That explains it then, dear Brother," Lucien said. "Your youngling made a strange gesture that, the way he made it, seemed to say the worst thing possible, so I grasped him to remonstrate with him. He attacked me, then adopted his current attitude. Can he be brought out of it? I must still test his strange ability."

However, the Imperial didn't have long to wait, as not many seconds later, the young vampire looked up, the scales of his face and throat tear-stained. Seeing Ocheeva, he asked her for a hug, and she went over and embraced him.

While the two Argonians held each other, Lucien said, "He seems to tolerate your touch well enough, dear Sister."

"Maybe it's that my hatchling doesn't like certain kinds of touch, dear family member," the female Argonian replied. "He's accepted a hug from Gogron before. Didn't you, little one?"

This news startled Lucien, and even Vicente, who had a good idea of the strength of his youngling, was surprised. Stepping towards the pair who were just separating from their embrace, he asked Walks-in-Shadows to allow his Speaker to test him.

"No way. He grabbed at me, and it still hurts!"

"Please say you will, Brother. For Ocheeva and myself."

"Fine, but he's not to grab at me again." Saying this, the umbric Argonian shot a dirty look at his Speaker, then sat down at the table as the two Executioners quietly left the room.

Lucien sat down across from Walks-in-Shadows, and handed him a book which was upside down, saying, "Read this aloud like that, please, assassin."

The young vampire obeyed this instruction with no difficulty, and did the same with a page written backwards, as well as one written backwards that was upside down when it was handed to him. After this, he wrote the poems quoted to him in those three ways, then, as the Imperial checked his work with the aid of a small mirror, the dark Argonian sat repetitiously whistling the calliope tune from the vampire movie he'd seen until Lucien shouted at him to be quiet. When the Argonian vampire hissed in fear, his Speaker forced himself to calm down, then apologised for his hasty action. Walks-in-Shadows made no reply, but sat warily watching the other male in case he should grab him again. He sat in complete silence for the next several minutes, then Lucien finally spoke.

"This is astounding, assassin. How are you able to do this?"

"Either dyslexia, dyspraxia, or any combination of both. So, can I get a contract now?"

"You may, but the night is half over, assassin, so you should probably get your contract tomorrow."

"Don't worry, it'll only take me six hours to reach Skingrad, and I can feed on one of the other house guests after I get there."

"You already know what you're going to be doing, assassin?"

"I always do, remember?"

Walks-in-Shadows departed to the living quaters, then once he got there, he packed his satchels, dressed in his Deceiver's Finery, and equipped himself before going to get his contract from a rather grumpy Ocheeva. As he set out for the region of West Weald, he already held the plans for the upcoming murders in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Strange World'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for non-commercial purposes. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'Mad World'; Copyright © 1982 Roland Orzabal. All rights reserved.)


	28. Mass Murder and Depression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There are potential triggers in this chapter for anybody who's ever suffered from depression. Read at your own risk.

# Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mass Murder and Depression.

As he'd predicted, Walks-in-Shadows arrived at the East Gate of Skingrad, during a rainstorm, after a mere six hours of non-stop travel. He entered the town, then continued to Summitmist Manor, outside of which a Nord named Fafnir was awaiting him, just as he'd expected. He patiently listened to an explanation of facts he already knew, then pocketed the key to the manor house that Fafnir gave him. The dark Argonian opened the door, then as soon as he got through it, he was immediately accosted by a middle aged female Breton named Matilde Petit, who asked who he was. Crossing his fingers, he told her the truth.

"I'm a vampiric assassin who's been hired to kill you all," he stated.

Just as she did in the game, according to the wikis, Matilde burst into uproarious laughter and told Walks-in-Shadows how funny he was. She proposed an alliance, to which he acquiesced, then asked where they should search. Merely smiling, as he didn't dare grin, the young vampire advised the Breton search in the basement, to which suggestion she readily acceded. After this, he sought out the Dunmer Girl, Dovesi Dran, telling her that he'd seen Primo Antonius gazing at her with a certain look in his eyes, and she should wait in the Imperial's room until the umbric Argonian sent him up. Then, after waiting for the Redguard, Neville, to retire for the night, Walks-in-Shadows went down to the basement, where he equipped his Chameleon enchanted items before seeking out Matilde. Once he'd found her, bending over to tap the wall close to the ground, the Argonian vampire crept behind her and slit her throat with his Blade of Woe. Now to go after the other four.

Going up to the first floor, Walks-in-Shadows quickly found Dovesi where he had instructed her to wait, and also slit her throat. He then entered Neville's room and finally, thankfully, fed from the sleeping Redguard, who was the next to die. Returning downstairs after rendering himself visible once more, the umbric Argonian had little problem in convincing Nels the Naughty to go after Primo before slitting the bewildered Imperial's throat as he bent over the warm corpse of the Nord, then he returned to the first floor and prepared himself for bed in one of the unused rooms.

As he lay under the covers, Walks-in-Shadows cried when he thought of the five souls, whose crimes he knew nothing of and who were now with Sithis in the Void, and how he was directly responsible for their presence there. He tried to convince himself that they would be dead anyway as someone else would have been given the contract if he hadn't accepted it, and that their deaths were obviously inevitable because of the plan he'd formed from reading the wikis going so well, but he was still crying with guilt as he fell asleep.

* * *

It was an hour before sunset when Walks-in-Shadows next awoke. He got ready for his journey, then went downstairs, left the house, and travelled back to Cheydinhal. Once there, he immediately returned to the Sanctuary, then went to Ocheeva's room, knocked on the door, and entered.

As her adoptive hatchling entered her chamber, the female Argonian sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes with one hand.

"Walks-in-Shadows!" she cried gladly. "You're back already? I trust your contract went well?" Then she saw the expression on his face and continued, "What's wrong, little one?"

Instead of answering the question, the young vampire walked over to the bed, knelt down by it, then bent his head and whimpered, "Please take me away, Ocheeva."

Reaching for the proffered crest, Ocheeva did as she was asked, and she'd been caressing his sweet spot for nearly ten minutes when Vicente came seeking Walks-in-Shadows, having sensed his return. After taking in the scene in front of him, the elder vampire asked what had happened, and his fellow Executioner explained. Taking over from her, Vicente gathered his youngling into his arms and sat in Ocheeva's chair with him. Then he gradually stopped stroking his crest and waited for him to come back to himself.

"What happened, youngling?" he asked in a gentle tone.

Instead of answering, the dark Argonian simply gazed at his sire before burying his face in his hands and bursting into tears. The Breton and the female Argonian looked at each other, nonplussed by this reaction, then the elder vampire started rubbing his youngling's crest again. The flow of Walks-in-Shadows' tears ceased as he began tunelessly crooning once more, leaning into his sire's hand. Standing up, Vicente bade Ocheeva goodnight before carrying the oblivious Argonian in his arms to his chamber and laying him on his sleeping slab, continuously caressing his crest as he did so.

* * *

Some hours later, Lucien Lachance arrived at the Sanctuary to Vicente's summons, and went to his friend's room where the two Executioners were watching over Walks-in-Shadows as he lay on his sire's sleeping slab, fast asleep.

"What caused him to enter this state, dear Brethren?" the Speaker asked.

"We don't know, dear family member. We only know that he came back from his most recent contract like this," Ocheeva answered.

"I see, dear Sister. It seems that Walks-in-Shadows has become depressed. What's strange is that such a reaction is more usual after one's first murder, and your hatchling has committed so many before now."

Having said this, Lucien stepped up to the sleeping slab, woke its occupant to ask him what had happened on his last contract, and Walks-in-Shadows again burst into tears as he recalled his moral crime. His sire came over to caress his crest, but was stopped from doing so by his Speaker.

"No, dear Brother. Allowing Walks-in-Shadows to forget will only block whatever trauma has caused his current state, making it impossible for him to properly process it. I've seen the results of that too many times to allow it to happen while _I'm_ a member of the Black Hand."

"I can do _this_ much for him, at least," Ocheeva said."

She went over to the umbric Argonian and bestowed the Night Mother's Blessing on him, permanently boosting his archery and lockpicking skills as well as his abilities to jump, climb, and to fight with shortswords and daggers. When she told Walks-in-Shadows that it was his bonus for remaining undetected during his latest contract, he turned away from her, crying harder.

* * *

It took a very long time for Walks-in-Shadows to recover from his guilt-induced depression. For weeks he fed without enthusiasm, only ate when Vicente or Ocheeva insisted on it, and said very little to any of his Dark Brethren. He also gave no clue as to what about his last contract might have caused his melancholic state. On the day of Lucien's visit to the Sanctuary, its mistress had put her adoptive hatchling's payment into his chest, but he'd refused to touch it, calling it 'tainted money'. The young vampire slept a lot during this time, and when awake, simply lay on his bed for hours every night, showing absolutely no interest in his few books or anything else. His eighteenth birthday came and went without his even realising it, and he was so listless that Vicente didn't dare continue with his youngling's training for fear that an injury would occur. Instead, on the nights he had no contract, the elder vampire sat by Walks-in-Shadows' bed and talked to him as he lay on his side, his pain-filled eyes staring sightlessly into the shadows of the living quarters.

It was on one of these occasions that Walks-in-Shadows began to show the first signs of recovery, albeit in rather a dramatic fashion. Vicente was describing a particularly tasty meal he'd taken from Orintur, an Altmer in the Mages Guild, when he looked across at his youngling and saw darkness spreading across the sheets of his bed. He stared at it in confusion for a few seconds, then when the smell of it reached his nose and he realised what it must be, he cursed as he dashed to Walks-in-Shadows' side, pulling him up to see that the dark Argonian had sliced a vertical gash in his left arm with his Blade of Woe, which he always kept under his pillow when sleeping. His sire swore again as he flung the dagger away and used a healing spell, then he woke Teinaava and asked him to fetch his eggmate, before going after his youngling, who'd got out of bed to search for his property. Vicente snagged the troublesome Argonian's crest, then made them both as comfortable as possible on the floor while he waited for his fellow Executioner to arrive in the living quarters.

"Hello, dear family member. You seem to have had an unusually difficult contract."

However, all amusement left Ocheeva's demeanour when she heard what had gone on, and she sent an urgent note to Lucien, who arrived just a few hours later.

* * *

"You said that your hatchling is worse, dear Sister?" the Imperial asked the moment he saw her. "What makes you think so?"

Vicente, who was holding down Walks-in-Shadows as he kicked and struggled to get free, replied, "He tried to murder himself earlier."

"Really? This could be important. Let him go."

Vicente obeyed and his youngling got up from the floor, hissed at him, then left the room.

"We should follow him, I believe," the Speaker stated, then he and his two Executioners did just that, locating the umbric Argonian in the training room where, believing himself to be unobserved, he found another dagger in one of the chests, drawing it up his arm in the same way he had his Blade of Woe. He then gave a gurgling groan as Lucien's hastily muttered Paralysis spell hit him just too late.

Lucien hurried over to Walks-in-Shadows and began to cast his own healing spell, then swore loudly, immediately commanding the attention of the other two.

"What's wrong, Brother?" Vicente asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Your youngling used an enchanted blade, and I can't heal his wound fully because of it," was the frustrated response. "I'm going to have to use an alternative method. Are there any clean surfaces he can lie on while I work on him?"

Just a few minutes later, Ocheeva's adoptive hatchling was crooning under her hand while his Speaker stitched up the slice in his left arm, pushing a thread of silk through the scaly skin with the aid of a bone needle. After this, the Imperial folded a length of clean white fabric into a pad, then bandaged it into place with one long strip of cloth of an identical hue.

"I apologise for failing to prevent Walks-in-Shadows hurting himself," Lucien stated once he'd finished, "but I can now tell you both what's going on."

"What's that, Brother?" Vicente enquired.

"Your youngling is getting better," was the simple reply.

"Better?" Ocheeva snorted. "My hatchling would _never_ have thought of murdering himself yesterday, so he must be even deeper in the pits of despair to try it today."

"You misunderstand, dear Sister. Walks-in-Shadows was far too depressed to do anything at all yesterday, so his actions today, while drastic, are at least proactive, and it's this that leads me to believe he's recovering. All we have to do is get him through this rough patch until he no longer feels the desire to take his own life, then he should come on more rapidly. I shall return to remove his stitches in two sevendays, but feel free to contact me with anything of concern before then."

Having said this, the Speaker walked briskly from Vicente's chamber to leave the Sanctuary via its well.

Upon waking a few hours later, Walks-in-Shadows discovered himself manacled to his bed, and he hissed in annoyance.

"You've been restrained for your own safety, my Brother," he heard a deep voice saying. "Why do you want to murder yourself?"

The young vampire looked vaguely in Gogron's direction as he muttered, "I don't deserve to live."

The Orc was startled by this revelation, and he asked, " _Why_ , my Brother? What do you think you've done that deserves death?"

However, the dark Argonian gave no answer to this, simply turning his head away as silent tears began to leak from between the lids of his closed eyes.


	29. Poisoned Apples and Aspects of Autism

# Chapter Twenty-Eight: Poisoned Apples and Aspects of Autism.

For another few weeks, Walks-in-Shadows remained shackled to his bed, alternately crying and raging at his helpless state, then something changed one day, and he told Ocheeva, who was the one keeping him company on that occasion, that he was hungry.

Although the Argonian vampire hadn't taken it upon himself to ask to feed in a long while, his adopted mother was suspicious, suspecting that this might simply be a new plan to gain his freedom. So she poured him a glassful of Khajiiti blood, which he hungrily drank before thanking her, adding, "I wish it was fresh, though. Even Orcs' blood's better than that stuff when it's fresh."

Without another word, Ocheeva unlocked the fetters holding her vampiric hatchling captive.

* * *

Vicente was deep in slumber, dreaming of making love to his long dead wife, when his dream vanished upon being shaken and he heard, "Vicente? Vicente, wake up! I'm _starving_."

Opening his eyes, the Breton saw Walks-in-Shadows and replied, "You're hungry, youngling? I _am_ glad to hear that! Come, we'll feed somewhere close by."

The vampires fed at an Orc's house two doors away from the Abandoned House, then once they were outside again, Vicente informed his youngling that he'd been promoted to Assassin, but because he had apparently not taken in the news when initially informed, probably because he wasn't well enough, he was being told again now. Walks-in-Shadows only gave a small, sad smile in response as he recalled the contract that had gained him the promotion, then he asked to see Lucien Lachance.

"Why do you wish to see the Speaker, Brother?"

"I refuse to take any more potentially innocent lives. If Lucien will give me poisoned apples to give to my targets, then their deaths are in their hands, not mine. After all, I won't be forcing them to eat the apples, will I? And if they do, they kill themselves."

"That's extremely well reasoned, youngling. Did you think of that just now?"

"Yeah. It's just simple Autistic logic."

"What other astonishing things have you thought of, Brother?"

"Well, I increased the volume of my desktop to something like audible by using PSP speakers in the headphone jack, and I managed to replace the music tracks of my PS3 games despite the fact that Sony did their damnedest to render that impossible. They'd be absolutely staggered if they learnt that I was doing the same thing on my PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube from 2003. But it's like Sony themselves often said in the past: 'Do not understimate the Power of Autism'!"

Although Vicente had heard about PCs and games consoles from Lucien, what Walks-in-Shadows was now saying astounded him so much that he didn't notice as he reached the well and passed through it, walking until his protégé's voice brought him to a sudden halt.

"Hold on! You can't go through walls _yet_ , you know!"

With a rueful chuckle, the elder vampire turned from the wall he had almost walked into.

"Come on, youngling. We'll sit in my chamber and talk. I can also write a note conveying your request to Lucien whilst we speak," he said.

Once the two vampires were sat at the table in Vicente's room, the Breton started to write a note to his friend, adding that it was important that the Dark Brotherhood Speaker should come at the earliest opportunity. As he did so, Walks-in-Shadows asked him a question.

"Vicente, how come _you_ can go out in the daytime when the sun burns _my_ skin?"

"It's because I've been a vampire for three hundred years now, Brother. The older I am, the more powerful I become. That will also happen with you as _you_ get older."

"So after long enough, the sun won't burn me or hurt my eyes?"

"Precisely, Brother."

"Even if it hurt my eyes before?"

"What exactly do you mean, youngling?"

"Before I was born into Darkness, the sun hurt my eyes anyway, making me partially blind on bright days, even if I was wearing sunglasses."

"Ah, I see, Brother. I'm afraid I don't know if the sun will continue to affect your vision or not, but it shouldn't pain you as much as it does now once a few decades have passed."

"The umbric Argonian seemed lost in thought for a few moments, then he started to sing:

"Great Hero of Legend  
Heal the Future in order to save the Past  
Great Hero of Legend  
Heal the Future in order to save the Past  
To rectify our error grave  
The Realm of Hyrule you must save  
Great Hero of Legend  
Heal the Future in order to save the Past"

"Where's Hyrule, youngling?" Vicente asked.

"It's part of 'The Legend of Zelda' games series, Vicente, so it doesn't actually exist."

It wasn't until after he'd said this that the young vampire gave a thought as to where he was, but once he had, he couldn't suppress his chuckles.

* * *

It was now some hours later, and Lucien Lachance had just entered the well of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. Once inside, he walked to Vicente's chamber and went inside.

"Greetings, dear Brother. You wished to see me?"

"Yes, Brother. Did you bring the poisoned apples I asked for?"

"Of course I did, dear Brother. But what do you need them for?"

Vicente explained that it had been his Walks-in-Shadows' request, saying, "I think that he should have them, Brother. What he said when he asked for them leads me to believe that directly taking the lives of certain people is what caused his depression after his last contract, but placing his targets' fates in their own hands wouldn't bother him."

He repeated what the dark Argonian had told him verbatim, and his Speaker agreed that his assessment of the situation was probably correct.

"However," he added, "your youngling will still be given whatever tools may be provided for each contract, and then the choice will be his in the methods he employs to fulfil them."

Having said this, the Imperial took a parcel containing about twenty poisoned apples from a satchel he was wearing, and gave it to his vampiric friend. Then he said his farewells before departing for Fort Farragut.

* * *

A few hours after Lucien's visit, the subject of his discussion roused from sleep and saw Vicente sitting at the foot of his bed, patiently waiting for him to awaken.

"What time is it?" Walks-in-Shadows enquired.

"It's time for us to feed, youngling," his sire replied.

"Let my stomach wake up, then."

"All right, Brother, but whilst it does, you may wish to put these away." Saying this, the elder vampire passed a parcel he was holding to his youngling, who asked what it was.

"It contains the poisoned apples you requested, Brother."

"Oh, yeah! Mega!" Walks-in-Shadows exclaimed, hastliy getting up and shoving the parcel in his chest before pulling out his armour. He had a use for one of those apples later on.

Rapidly changing his clothes and relocking his chest, the umbric Argonian was soon ready to go out.

"That was fast, youngling!" Vicente exclaimed, chuckling.

"My stomach woke up quick. C'mon, hurry up! I wanna get my next contract ASAP."

The Breton made haste, greatly heartened by his youngling's rediscovered zest for life.

Once the two vampires had returned to the Sanctuary after feeding, Walks-in-Shadows sought out Ocheeva in her room, and after he'd entered, the Executioner went to her chest and took an unusual arrow from it.

"The Rose of Sithis has been sanctioned for this contract," she said, handing the arrow to her adoptive hatchling. "Are you aware of what must be done, little one?"

As he took the arrow, the young vampire nodded in affirmation, then left the room and headed back to the living quarters where he duped the arrow and put it away before using the copies to replace his iron arrows. Then he replenished his depleted magicka reserves and packed his satchels as well as one of the poisoned apples that Lucien had sent to him, first wrapping it carefully in a piece of cloth. Once ready, the dark Argonian left the Sanctuary and went to the Black Waterside Stables to hire a horse. While he could run almost as quickly as a bay horse, it was a long way to Leyawiin, and it was also a lot easier to feed safely if he wasn't too tired when he did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Song of Legend (Long)'; Copyright © 2010-2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for non-commercial purposes. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'Temple of Time'; Copyright © 1998 Kondo Koji. All rights reserved.)


	30. Adamus Phillida's 'Suicide'

# Chapter Twenty-Nine: Adamus Phillida's 'Suicide'.

Four hours after starting out on his journey, Walks-in-Shadows reached the Five Riders Stables, dismounted the black horse he'd ridden in the paddock, and stashed his satchels, sword, and bow and arrows before going through the West Gate of Leyawiin, taking only what he needed. The moment he was inside the city walls, the umbric Argonian went straight to Ra'Jahirr's house, picked the lock, and went inside to feed. He was extremely hungry by now, and Khajiiti blood _was_ his favourite. After leaving the house again, the young vampire walked back towards the West Gate and into the Five Claws Lodge where he rented a room for the night from Witseidutsei, the Argonian innkeeper. Walks-in-Shadows purchased some food and mead, then went to his room to have a meal before going to bed. He wasn't actually tired yet, but he needed to be up early enough to catch Adamus Phillida off his guard.

* * *

Walks-in-Shadows awoke with a start. He hadn't realised when he'd finally fallen asleep two or three hours earlier than he usually would, but the room in which he lay was brighter than he would normally see it, so that was okay. Getting up and ready to go, the dark Argonian carefully prepared for his upcoming contract, then left his room and exited the lodge. After checking his maps of Leyawiin and the surrounding area, Walks-in-Shadows left the city by the Northeast Gate and walked to the nearby promontary that jutted into the Lower Niben, and on it, as he had hoped, his target stood unaccompanied by his bodyguard. The young vampire engaged the retired Imperial Legion commander in conversation, taking an apple from his pocket and biting into it as he did so.

"Do you have another of those to spare, citizen?"

"Sure, here you go."

Walks-in-Shadows reached into his other pocket, removed the poisoned apple, and handed it to Adamus, who eagerly bit into the toxic fruit. The Imperial chewed his mouthful and swallowed it, then gave a hoarse, gasping cry as his muscles started to seize up painfully. A few minutes was all it took for him to die while attempting to breathe with a paralysed diaphragm, and once his body was finally still, his killer severed the finger that bore a ring with some sort of insignia. He would need that for the next phase of this contract. Once he'd removed every key from the dead man's pockets and returned the remains of the poisoned apple to his own, the umbric Argonian was ready to go.

Going back to the stables, Walks-in-Shadows retrieved his possessions and his horse, then rode to the Imperial City. It was again dark by the time he reached it, and he was glad of this as he badly needed to feed. In his hurry, he'd not noticed that he hadn't fed enough, and the sun had been torturous for much of his journey. The moment he dismounted, the Argonian vampire broke into the building of the Chestnut Handy Stables and chose the Imperial, Restita Statlilia, as the safest person from whom to sate his dark hunger. He was in the middle of feeding when the Orc, Snak gra-Bura, woke up and asked him what he was doing.

Raising his head from his meal, Walks-in-Shadows breathed, "Please don't say anything. We both have taboo appetites to feed, and I'm ravenous." Then he resumed his feeding, safe in the knowledge that she would not reveal him.

Once his stomach ws full, the dark Argonian made to leave, stopping at the door only long enough to whisper to the Orc, "My mam's secret to a great stew is to lightly fry the meat before adding it to the vegetables and pouring in the stock. Then once it's cooked, she pours it into a deep bowl over sticks of potato that have been boiled in oil."

As the door finally closed behind the young vampire, Snak licked her lips. The recipe she had just heard sounded truly delicious, and there was a nice-looking white horse that had been left in the paddock that afternoon.

Now that he had finally fed, Walks-in-Shadows equipped his Chameleon enchanted items and entered the Talos Plaza District. Turning left, he quickly passed through it and the Elven Gardens District, then crossed the Market District only halfway before turning left again and entering the gate to the Imperial City Prison. He was at his final destination of this long contract. The umbric Argonian checked his map of the area he was in to find the door he required. Ah, _there_ it was! Getting out one of the keys he'd taken from the cooling corpse in Leyawiin, Walks-in-Shadows used it to unlock the Imperial Legion Office and carefully crept over to the desk, unlocked that with another of Adamus' keys, and slipped the murdered man's beringed finger inside. Making doubly sure to relock everything behind him, Walks-in-Shadows left to go all the way back to the stables to remove his disguise and remount the black horse he'd left there. No need to put temptation in Snak's way, and if the horse was located at Cheydinhal rather than the Imperial City, it would be that much harder to connect its rider to any events at the capital.

* * *

Pre-dawn light was streaking the sky by the time the dark Argonian reached Cheydinhal, so he simply left the horse he'd hired in its paddock at the Black Waterside Stable, then broke into the stable building to feed before entering by the West Gate. As he did so, one of the guards on duty accosted him.

"Why do I only ever see you at night, citizen?"

"It's not night, it's sunrise. But the reason is that I work a night shift."

"Ah, I see. Move along, citizen."

Walks-in-Shadows breathed a huge yet imperceptible sigh of relief. He'd got away with it without having to tell too much of a lie, and just in time. Although he'd fed enough, the faint early light was still uncomfortable, and he wanted to get somewhere that was lit only by candles or lanterns as soon as he could. He walked onwards until he was beyond the sightline of the guards on the gate, then broke into a run for the well, reaching it within minutes. He hastily clambered down the ladder inside, then sought out Ocheeva.

"Adamus Phillida's dead, and his successor's been duly warned," he stated, once he'd found her.

"Well done, little one! How ever on Nirn did you manage it?"

"The dude got hungry while I was talking to him. It's hardly _my_ fault if he chose to ignore his training: 'Never eat food which has not been provided by the Legion, nor that which you have not purchased yourself.'"

"Well, here is your payment and bonus, Walks-in-Shadows. You've been promoted to the rank of Executioner in recognition of your great service to the Dark Brotherhood. Since you're now of the same rank as both Vicente and myself, neither of us can provide your contracts any longer, and you will instead receive them directly from the Speaker. Congratulations, little one!"

Taking the one thousand Septims his adopted mother offered him, the young vampire simply said, "Thanks, Ocheeva."

With that, he left for the living quarters to put his things away, eat, and get ready for bed, dropping the partially eaten apple into the latrine as he used it. He didn't think it would poison anything but humanoids, but he also didn't see any harm in being careful.

The strange dreams he enjoyed that day would have been called nightmares by anybody else.


	31. A Time to Shed

# Chapter Thirty: A Time to Shed.

It was many hours later when Walks-in-Shadows awoke to a sensation he hadn't thought he would ever feel again. For a few seconds he tried to scratch himself, but soon gave it up as a bad job and started rubbing himself against his bedclothes instead. It was at this point that Vicente arrived in the living quarters to see him.

"What are you doing, youngling?" he asked.

"I itch all over, but it hurts too much when I scratch," the writhing vampire answered in a miserable tone.

"I see, Brother. Please hold still while I look at you."

Walks-in-Shadows stopped fidgeting just long enough for his sire to conduct a brief examination, then resumed his squirming the moment it was over.

"How old are you, Brother?"

"Seventeen, as far as I know. Why?"

The Breton was extremely surprised to hear this. The vampire he had sired was so young, and yet had managed to achieve the same rank as himself in such a relatively short time? It was no wonder that he had caught the Speaker's interest. However, that wasn't important right now, so he carried on.

"It seems that you're shedding your skin, youngling."

"You what?"

"It's a natural process that all Argonians must go through as they grow."

"So how do you know about it?"

"I watched Ocheeva and Teinaava grow up in the service of Sithis at this Sanctuary, so I often bore witness to the occasions when they went through what you're suffering now. I'm sure they'll know of something that may help you, so I'm going to look for them."

Having said this, the elder vampire left the room, then returned a few minutes later with Teinaava following him. The mortal Argonian immediately went over to the vampiric one and started to speak.

"Vicente tells me you're shedding your skin, my Brother. I've brought a potion that will ease the itching, and once you feel better, I'll teach you how to make it for yourself. You've got eight more years of this to go through, unfortunately, but it'll only be once a year. After that, it'll only be once every few years."

He waited until Walks-in-Shadows stopped wriggling, then handed over the bottle he held. The dark Argonian uncorked it, quickly downed its contents, and resumed squirming. However, this didn't last long once the potion quickly began to work.

When his itching had been reduced to a tolerable level, the umbric Argonian asked what had been in the potion.

"The main ingredients are rumex and dandelions, my Brother, and there are other items that reduce sensitivity as well."

Teinaava gave Walks-in-Shadows a full list of the ingredients' names, descriptions, and locations, then sent him out, after he had fed, to gather as many of each as he could, giving him another bottle of the itch relieving potion just in case.

It took the young vampire five hours to gather the ingredients he needed, and he had to drink his potion before he'd got all of them, but once he had, he quickly returned to the Sanctuary and woke Teinaava up to teach him how to make the potion. The two Argonians spent a couple of hours preparing, grinding, and mixing the various plants, and by the time they had finished, Walks-in-Shadows possessed all the potions he would need for the time he was shedding, as well as the knowledge required to make more.

"Thanks for staying up to help me, Teinaava," he said.

"That's all right, my Brother," the mortal Argonian replied, walking to his bed. "By the way, you have some some skin on your tail that's ready to come off. Goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight," the dark Argonian answered before slowly and carefully peeling off the large patch of dead, scale covered skin that extended to the middle of his tail and eating it. Then he grabbed a book and sat on his bed to read.

After another hour, Vicente Valtieri entered the living quarters, again seeking his youngling.

"It's time to feed, youngling," he said.

"Okay," came the reply. "I just have to get ready."

Walks-in-Shadows drank another bottle of the itch relieving potion, then rubbed at his head until the dead skin on it had sloughed off backwards, making him look like he was wearing a hoody. He went into the latrines to rinse his whole head in cold water from one of the stone basins, and he was finally set. He rejoined his sire in the main room, then the two vampires left to feed their sanguineous appetites before returning to the Sanctuary to eat and prepare for bed.

* * *

When he awoke the next night, Walks-in-Shadows was again itching.

'Potion!' was his first thought.

Once he'd opened his eyes, however, all he could see was dim light and shadows, and he realised he was blind. Knowing it was pointless to fumble around inside his chest in the faint hope of finding one of the correct bottles, he simply lay where he was and rubbed his tortured body on the bedclothes until he heard someone approaching.

"Why do you squirm, my Brother? Have you lost your potions?" Teinaava's voice asked.

"I've gone blind! I can't see to search through my chest for them!"

"Hold still, my Brother. No, you _haven't_ gone blind, it's just that your nictitating membranes have shed as you slept, and the dead skin is covering your eyes. Come with me and I'll help you."

Having said this, Teinaava waited until Walks-in-Shadows got out of bed, then guided him to the latrines where he bathed his eyes in cold water, then the young vampire could feel him carefully picking at the area near one of his eyes with his claws. Just then, the dead skin lifted away, and he could see through one eye again. The mortal Argonian picked just as carefully at the other eye until Walks-in-Shadows had full vision once more, then he let the vampire go back to his chest to find a bottle of potion. While he knew that he could have found one easily, he also realised that the umbric Argonian's vampiric instincts would have led him to defend his chest ferociously while his bottles of blood were inside it.

* * *

Over the week that he was shedding his skin, Walks-in-Shadows was unable to go out on any contracts because of the discomfort he was in despite the itch relieving potions. He also ate every patch of skin that he pulled off by himself, while showing a marked disinterest in the ones that Teinaava or one of the others helped him pull free.

When Gogron asked him why he ate his dead skin, he replied, "I don't know, it just feels like something I should do."

Ocheeva explained to both of them that it was an Argonian instinct to preserve the protein in the skin that would otherwise be lost. The reason the skin that was pulled off by others was ignored was because once someone else had handled it, it no longer felt like one's own, so to eat it would be like eating somebody else's waste materials.

* * *

It was near the end of this week of enforced inactivity that the vampiric Argonian received a note from Lucien Lachance that read:  
'Executioner, you have served the Dark Brotherhood well in the time you have been with us. Indeed, the rate of your advancement has been rather remarkable for one so young. Now the Black Hand itself is in need of your abilities.  
'You must proceed with all haste to my private refuge in the ruins of Fort Farragut, located in the forest northeast of Cheydinhal. When you arrive, we will discuss the matter of your special assignment.  
'I cannot stress to you enough the importance of your swift arrival at Fort Farragut. There are unseen powers working to unravel the very fabric of the Dark Brotherhood. The Black Hand is counting on you to prevent this disaster.  
'Do not share the contents of this missive with anyone at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, including Vicente Valtieri and Ocheeva, and make no mention of your journey to my home! Also, be warned - my refuge within Fort Farragut is guarded by denizens that will attack any interloper on sight. Get through these rotting sentinels and you will surely have earned the right to visit my private sanctum.  
'Lucien Lachance.'

Walks-in-Shadows carefully folded the note up and locked it into his chest. If what he suspected was true, then he would have to take some preventative measures. The loss of certain people could be disastrous for him on an emotional level. He was also glad that he had waited until everyone else in the living quarters had fallen asleep before he'd read the note.

Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if someone _was_ awake and reading the note over the dark Argonian's shoulder, as it had been written entirely backwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Orders from Lucien Lachance'; Copyright © 2006 Bethesda Softworks. All rights reserved. Adapted with permission from Bethesda Softworks.


	32. Preventing the Purification and Unmasking a Traitor

# Chapter Thirty-One: Preventing the Purification and Unmasking a Traitor.

Walks-in-Shadows woke up, stretched, then peeled off the last patch of dead scales from his arm before eating it. Now that the shedding of his skin was over with for the year, he needed something to do. Thus he dressed in his shrouded armour and hood, then left the Sanctuary and fed before returning to prepare for his journey to Fort Farragut. Once he felt he was ready, he set out.

Leaving Cheydinhal by the East Gate, the young vampire followed the road to the ruined fort nearby, reaching it within another ten minutes and marking it on his map. Then, after entering the crumbling walls, he eschewed the obvious entrance in front of him, instead passing through a large gap in the wall to his left and turning left again to make his way to a large tree with a huge hole in its trunk. He went inside the tree and picked the lock on the trapdoor he had hoped to find there before opening it and slipping inside.

"You're obviously more resourceful than I'd hoped, dear Brother," was what the umbric Argonian heard as he climbed down the ladder inside the trapdoor. "I believe you will serve me very well."

Reaching the floor at last, he turned and said, "Listen, Lucien, the upcoming Purification Ritual isn't necessary. I know who the traitor is and where evidence of his activities can be found. C'mon, we gotta go to Anvil."

He turned back to the rope ladder and re-ascended it while Lucien, mystified and bemused, followed him.

* * *

It took a total of seven hours for Walks-in-Shadows and Lucien Lachance to reach Anvil, and as soon as they were through the gate of the port town, the young vampire entered the Mages Guild building opposite and fed his dark hunger as his Speaker looked on dispassionately. Then the eighteen-year-old Executioner led Lucien from the building and turned left towards the Harbour Gate. Going through, he ignored the harbour on his left in favour of the path to his right to the lighthouse. The two Dark Brotherhood members entered the towering structure where they encountered the Nord lighthouse keeper, Ulfgar Fog-Eye, the moment they were inside.

"I need the key to your cellar," Walks-in-Shadows demanded, holding out his hand.

Ulfgar took in his armour and hood, and asked, "What's your rank?"

"Executioner, but that's not important. The key is."

"Yes, well. The person renting my cellar is a Silencer, so he outranks you and you'll get no key from me."

It was at this point that Lucien stepped forwards and said, "I, however, am a Speaker. Now please hand over the key as my companion asks."

The keeper looked unperturbed as he responded, "With those robes, you could easily be a Silencer yourself. I shall have to make up my mind whether or not to trust your word."

The dark Argonian decided that enough was enough. In a bored manner, he yawned widely, not bothering to cover his mouth on this occasion. As soon as he saw the fangs of the Argonian vampire glinting in the light, Ulfgar reached his decision quickly.

"I thank you for your prudence," Lucien said as he plucked the key from the keeper's quavering hand.

The Speaker and Executioner left the lighthouse and found the cellar door, where Lucien used the key to unlock it. Once the two of them were inside, Walks-in-Shadows led his Speaker around some shelves and containers that were arranged as a crude screen, and to a locked door. The young vampire had just pulled out his lockpicks when Lucien stopped him, unlocking the door himself with a spell.

"I'll go first," Walks-in-Shadows breathed.

Unsheathing his sword, he flung open the door and slashed at the crazed dog that barrelled through it, and as his newest Executioner and the hound fought, Lucien calmly decapitated the psychologically disturbed canine with his silver shortsword. Then Walks-in-Shadows led the way to a table which held a large plate with a rotting head upon it.

"That's the head of the traitor's mother, his diary's on that table there," he declared, turning around and pointing to a book which lay on a small table nearby. Lucien picked up the diary and was about to leave, when the umbric Argonian stopped him, listening intently. Just then, Walks-in-Shadows made a short series of sneezing noises as he ran back towards the door in the other room, the Imperial following him, and flung himself at the figure that had just come through it.

"Traitor!" the young vampire snarled at the person he had pinned to the ground.

Mathieu Bellamont, whom it was, started punching Walks-in-Shadows, but his attempts at freeing himself were halted by the T. rex roar that issued from the vampire's throat. Lucien himself was stunned because although he had heard about the young Executioner's strange ability from Ocheeva, he'd never before witnessed it at first hand. Then he pulled himself together and separated the two combatants before binding and gagging the perfidious Silencer and dragging him further into the room, noticing the man's robes for the first time as he did so. No wonder Ulfgar had been confused, robes were not part of a Silencer's official uniform. The Speaker was again about to leave when he noticed the tiredness of his companion and saw that the sun was now up. He closed and relocked the door before speaking.

"You need to sleep, dear Brother."

"Yeah, but what about you, Lucien? I'm not the only one who hasn't slept all night, and I guess you won't have slept yesterday, either."

"I'll be fine, dear Brother. My greatest concern is you."

So Walks-in-Shadows stripped to his loincloth and got under the covers of the cellar's only bed as his Speaker sat at the table at the foot of it and pillowed his head on his arms. This wouldn't be the first uncomfortable sleep he'd ever had, and the results would be worth it. A vampire who didn't attack mortals on sight was far too valuable for the Brotherhood to lose to insanity.

* * *

A couple of hours after first falling asleep, Walks-in-Shadows awoke, feeling the need to pass waste, so he got up and pulled on his greaves before picking Lucien's pocket for the cellar key and going to the privy he had seen outside. Although the sun was burning his skin, his need was too great to be ignored, and so he ran from one door to the next as fast as he could. After shutting the door and sitting down, the Argonian vampire tried to pass his waste, but it didn't seem to want to come out. He sat there for several minutes before he finally felt something in his cloaca, then a pellet that was smaller, harder, and darker than normal finally started its slow exit. As he finished, Walks-in-Shadows felt something new, so he looked down at his lower belly to see his hemipenes as they emerged with the force of his straining abdominal muscles. He was too shocked to do anything for a few seconds, then he touched these strange things. It was only as they slipped back inside that he realised what they must be. So he was a dude with two dicks. Too cool!

The dark Argonian stood up and reclothed himself, then left the privy and ran back to the lighthouse, quickly re-entering the cellar and locking the door again before slipping the key back into Lucien's pocket. Then he returned to bed and went back to sleep.

* * *

Several more hours passed before Walks-in-Shadows woke again, this time because Lucien was shaking him.

"I realise that it's still early, dear Brother, but the time has come for us to leave this place. I must call a meeting of the Black Hand so that I may present the evidence we've discovered and this traitor may face justice for the grief he's wrought. By the way, you're no longer an Executioner of the Dark Brotherhood. Well done, Silencer."

The young vampire lay there for a few moments as he took in this news, then he got dressed and ready to leave. As his Speaker unlocked the cellar door, Walks-in-Shadows picked up Mathieu Bellamont and slung him over one shoulder before Lucien joined him for the walk back through Anvil. As the two members of the Black Hand reached the paddock of the Horse Whisperer Stables, the new Silencer waited until Lucien had mounted Shadowmere before positioning the Breton across the black mare's back in front of her saddle. Then he mounted his own horse and followed his Speaker on the long ride to Bravil.


	33. A Meeting and Punishment

# Chapter Thirty-Two: A Meeting and Punishment.

After a journey of five and a half hours, the horses and their riders finally reached the paddock of the Bay Roan Stables where the humanoids dismounted. The ride wouldn't have taken so long, but Walks-in-Shadows had had to stop in Skingrad to feed, and all had needed a meal; especially the Speaker, who hadn't eaten since before setting off to Anvil. Once the Imperial had written and dispatched the notes to call the Black Hand together, the party had set off again in order to reach Bravil before dawn.

  


The two members of the Black Hand entered the North Gate, the young vampire with Mathieu again hoisted over his shoulder, and made their way to the Lucky Old Lady, the famous statue that stood in the northern part of Bravil, surrounded by houses. The other Speakers and Silencers joined them on the way, and as the now larger group approached the statue, it seemed to shift and change to a more sinister form as it moved back to reveal a trapdoor hidden under its base.

The Black Hand entered the trapdoor, and Walks-in-Shadows unceremoniously dumped his burden on the floor in the centre of the crypt beneath. As the traitor yelled out in pain, the umbric Argonian bared his fangs at him to shut him up. He'd suffered a long journey after too little sleep, had had to ride in the sun for some of it, and his tympanic membranes had become more sensitive as a result. So the last thing he needed was anybody shouting near him.

Suddenly, there was an extra presence in the room as the ghostly figure of a female Nord strode towards the Black Hand.

"What is the meaning of this desecration? Who has disturbed My ancient slumbers?" the ethereal woman demanded.

"My Silencer and I have captured the traitor who's caused so much torment to the Dark Brotherhood," Lucien explained.

"As I am aware, Speaker. You are early, Walks-in-Shadows. I _had_ planned for the traitor to reveal himself at the proper time. Do you have any explanation for your actions?"

"Yeah. I didn't know what might happen if Vicente Valtieri wasn't around during the next mating season, and I didn't want to find out the hard way. Especially if I'm the one responsible for his absence."

"I see, Silencer. If you had allowed the true chain of events to run their course, you would have been promoted to the highest possible position during your first visit here. Instead, you will have to remain at your current rank for the present time, and it remains to be seen if you are able to advance further. For the moment, however, I leave it to you to decide on the traitor's punishment."

As soon as the Night Mother had finished speaking, Walks-in-Shadows walked over to the figure tied up in the middle of the floor and knelt by it. Then he bent over and carefully pierced Mathieu Bellamont's neck with his fangs and sucked at the flowing blood, the source of his meal whimpering.

Once he'd finished feeding, the dark Argonian stood up again and said, "Since Lucien and those of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary would have died if this dude's plans had ripened to fruition, I'll leave it to them to punish him."

As Mathieu cried out in horror, the Night Mother asked, "The act you have just committed was not the traitor's punishment, Silencer?"

"No. I was simply hungry, and he just happened to be there."

"Very well, Silencer. What you wish shall come to pass. Now leave me, all of you. I am weary and in need of rest. I must also make preparations for this altered course of events."

Picking up the bound prisoner once again, the young vampire followed the rest of the Black Hand through the trapdoor, which closed behind them with an air of finality. Once he was in the foetid air of Bravil again, Ungolim and the others surrounded him with questions about how he and Lucien had known who the traitor was when the rest of the Black Hand hadn't even had a clue, but he simply brushed past them without so much as a glance as his Speaker apologised on his behalf.

"It's his vampiric nature, dear Brethren."

  


Walks-in-Shadows was nearly at the stables when Lucien finally caught up to him with a question of his own.

"What were you thinking of, dear Brother?"

"What are you talking about, Lucien?"

"You failed to show the Night Mother the respect due to her, and to feed from our prisoner in front of such a large group!"

"On your first point, we Autistics don't do that whole 'respect due to position' thing because we only pay the respect that's earned. On your second point, like I said, I was hungry. Probably because I haven't had enough sleep and had to ride in the sun as well. Sometimes, I think you forget how young of a vampire I am and how much the light of the sun hurts me."

"I hadn't forgotten, dear Brother, but our errand was most urgent. However, I apologise for your pain and seek your forgiveness."

"Yeah, sure. You got it. I'd like to return to the Sanctuary now."

By this time, Lucien and Walks-in-Shadows were in the paddock of the Bay Roan Stables once more, and the young vampire again slung his burden across Shadowmere's withers. However, as he turned to his own steed, he was surprised to see his Speaker already mounted upon it.

"In light of your new position, and because you'll need your own horse to fulfil the contracts I pass on to you, I hereby present you with my black mare, Shadowmere. May she serve you as well as she has myself."

"What will you ride?"

"Four years ago, Shadowmere birthed a colt which I have almost finished breaking in. Once his training is complete, I will ride him, and in the meantime, I can hire horses as you have."

The Silencer nodded, then turned towards his new horse and held out his hand, saying, "Hello, Shadowmere. I hope we're good friends while I'm your rider."

As the black mare snuffled at Walks-in-Shadows' hand, Lucien looked on in approval. While he would never speak to a horse as though it was a humanoid, he knew that one should always get to know one's permanent mount properly, and whichever way suited the umbric Argonian was fine with him. Once Shadowmere bore her new rider, the two members of the Black Hand set off back to Cheydinhal.


	34. Retribution Decided and Promotion of a Silencer

# Chapter Thirty-Three: Retribution Decided and Promotion of a Silencer.

It took around a couple of hours for the black horses and their riders to reach the Black Waterside Stables, where the two humanoids dismounted before Walks-in-Shadows took the prisoner from Shadowmere's back and carried him from the paddock and through Cheydinhal's West Gate. The small party made its way through the town and entered the Sanctuary by way of the Abandoned House, immediately seeking out Ocheeva to impart the latest news and give her an opportunity to gather the rest of the Sanctuary's inhabitants together so they could decide the fate of Mathieu Bellamont. Before they had approached the Ancient Black Door, however, the Speaker had informed his Silencer that he mustn't reveal his new rank to any of the other inhabitants of the Sanctuary, not even Vicente or Ocheeva. Then he'd warned the prisoner that if _he_ said anything about it, he would meet the fate appropriate for such iniquity, and the expression on his face said that he didn't necessarily mean death.

After he and Lucien had spoken to Ocheeva and she had found all the others, Walks-in-Shadows was greeted by M'raaj-Dar, who immediately apologised for his past behaviour and stated that he wished to make amends.

"Especially as you saved my miserable, unworthy life," the Khajiit finished.

"That's okay," the young vampire replied. Then he whistled the melody of 'Good Morning to All' with the split note that transformed it into the birthday tune. M'raaj-Dar seemed to mean what he'd said, however, as his hackles didn't rise the slightest bit at this clearly deliberate goading.

During the meeting that followed, Lucien filled in the others as much as he could, then everyone except Walks-in-Shadows started discussing the prisoner's fate. After a long while of talking and bickering back and forth, it was finally decided that a spacious cell would be built in which to hold Mathieu Bellamont, and each of the two vampires would be allowed to feed from him once a fortnight on alternating weeks. Upon hearing this decision being arrived at, the bound traitor shivered and gave a slight moan as he remembered the pain of Walks-in-Shadows' fangs in his neck.

"Oh, it's not so bad once you get used to it, Mathieu," M'raaj-Dar declared, airily.

"How would _you_ know?" the prisoner enquired.

"Because Walks-in-Shadows prefers Khajiiti blood over any other type," came the answer. "Isn't that so, Brother?"

The umbric Argonian nodded in agreement, licking his lips with obvious relish.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Walks-in-Shadows had gone out on a number of contracts, first killing the rogue necromancer Celedaen by stealing his Sands of Resolve before decapitating him, then taking out the entire Draconis family by giving each member a poisoned apple in a variety of different ways. Then he had gone out on a number of different contracts that he couldn't rely on wiki knowledge for, still somehow carrying them out with the utmost care and efficiency, choosing his methods according to whether or not his targets had earned death by committing an act of depravity, which information Lucien made sure to always give his Silencer whenever he could.

The umbric Argonian had also fed from Mathieu Bellamont twice during this time, and he'd noticed that the prisoner's whimpers of pain and disgust had rather rapidly changed to moans of rapture. The last time that he'd been fed on by Walks-in-Shadows, the traitor's arms had wrapped around him to clutch him tightly in a lover's embrace as he'd shot his fluids in ecstasy. The young vampire had realised what had happened the moment he'd smelt the musk of semen in the air, and he'd chuckled darkly as Mathieu had released him and fallen back, faint with post-ejaculatory bliss as well as the loss of a pint of blood.

* * *

It had now been five and a half weeks since the meeting in which the fate of the perfidious former Silencer had been decided, and Walks-in-Shadows had received a note that Lucien Lachance had sent to him via a dead drop. The moment he'd returned to the Sanctuary and eaten that morning, the young vampire sat on his bed to open the letter.

It read: 'Silencer Walks-in-Shadows, Silencer no more. You are now of the rank of Speaker as you have now proven your diligence beyond any doubt. Also, I have a task that can only be undertaken by one with such intelligence and fearlessness as you seem to possess. The task is this; the current Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Ungolim, must die. The new methods and practices that he observes are what enabled the traitor, Mathieu Bellamont, to remain undetected by the Black Hand for so long, and such an event must never be allowed to re-occur. I have informed Ungolim that he must return to the ancient traditions of the Brotherhood, yet he stubbornly refuses. Bearing all this in mind, it would be advisable for you to lie low for some time so the Listener never suspects you to be the one I have chosen to carry out my plan. However, once you have told even one person anything you like about the contents of this missive, you will be able to show it to anyone as they will only be able to read what you have claimed it contains.  
Good luck, Speaker. The Night Mother.

Once Walks-in-Shadows had read this note, he locked it away in his chest and prepared for bed just before Ocheeva entered the living quarters to soothe him to sleep in her usual manner. As she was stroking his head, he informed her that he'd been promoted to Speaker.

"Really, little one?"

"Yeah. One day, I'm gonna be the head of the Sanctuary under the Abandoned House in Anvil, but I have to train for the position first. The Night Mother says so in a letter she sent me."

"I shall miss you when you leave this Sanctuary, Walks-in-Shadows, but I'm also very pleased for you."

"Thanks, Ocheeva. I'm gonna miss you a whole ton."

Having said this, the dark Argonian fell into a contented sleep.


	35. The Shivering Isles and Apotheosis

# Chapter Thirty-Four: The Shivering Isles and Apotheosis.

The sun had already been down for fifteen minutes when Walks-in-Shadows next awoke, so he hastily got out of bed to dress and prepare for the journey he was planning in his head, then left the Sanctuary and went to a nearby house to feed before leaving Cheydinhal by the East Gate for Fort Farragut. As soon as he reached his destination, he made straight for the trapdoor, entered it, and was climbing down the rope ladder inside when a voice greeted him.

"Hello, dear Brother. Why are you here?"

"I've got some news to tell you, Lucien. Apparently, I'm a Speaker as well."

The young vampire handed over the note he'd been sent, and Lucien took it, reading it with a puzzled frown.

"I see, dear Brother," the Imperial said at last. "That must be why I received this parcel to give to you. All this is highly unusual, but the will of the Night Mother must be obeyed. Where do you plan to undertake your training?"

"That strange door in Niben Bay," Walks-in-Shadows replied as he took the parcel from Lucien and opened it to see black robes and a hood, which he immediately placed in his satchels.

"Why there, dear Brother?

"Because I can sense something beyond it that will make me more powerful than I already am, and which calls to me."

This latter fact was actually true. Recently, Walks-in-Shadows had become gradually aware of a tugging sensation that seemed to emanate from the glowing portal that he had steadfastly ignored since waking up on Nirn for the first time, and now it could no longer be disregarded. He would have to go through the door and find out exactly what lay beyond it.

"Well, I wish you luck, dear Brother. Such a venture may prove dangerous, so take every necessary precaution."

"Thanks, I will."

Now that he'd finished speaking, the umbric Argonian left by the trapdoor and immediately set out for the paddock at the Black Waterside Stables, where he mounted Shadowmere for the ride to Bravil. Leaving the mare in the paddock of the Bay Roan Stables, Walks-in-Shadows took off all his gear and packed it away in his satchels before swimming out to the mysterious island that was ordinarily absent from the middle of the bay. Having reached it, he reclothed himself before carrying on.

Approaching the door he'd read so much about during his time on Earth, the Argonian vampire stopped short in surprise. Where _was_ everybody? In the game, so the wikis claimed, there was someone called Gaius Prentus, who had been posted at the portal by the Bravil Town Guard to warn people against entering it, an insane female Khajiit named S'fara who claimed that nobody could see her despite the fact that she was fully visible, and shouldn't a crazed male Dunmer named Belmyne Dreleth be coming out of the door to attack the now nonexistent Gaius? Yet the only person in the vicinity of the mysterious portal was Walks-in-Shadows himself, who was surprised to hear the Gaelic voice he'd read about coming from the entrance as usual. However, what the voice said wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

"Ah, finally! My Chosen Champion arrives! Ye're several months overdue, and I'm not best pleased. Now come through the door. The weather's lovely in the Isles right now. Perfect time for a visit."

Mystified by the changes he'd observed, the young vampire nevertheless stepped through the door, and was relieved to see the dour male Breton he'd anticipated would be there, sat at a table in the middle of the room he was now in.

"Hello. You have been expected for some time now, so quickly ask what questions you have before you choose whether or not you will accede to my Lord's request. Although He would be most disappointed should you refuse."

"How have I been 'expected', Haskill? I shouldn't even be in Mundus!"

"My Lord said you would know me. He also stated that you are an integral part of his plan, and that is why He wished for you."

"Hang about. If Sheogorath wished for me, why did I wake up in Cyrodiil and not Oblivion?

Haskill looked pained at the use of Sheogorath's name without the prefix of 'Lord' as he replied, "Lord Sheogorath wished for an independent Champion, one who was not tied by the fates of Mundus. So you were plucked from your own realm before waking up in a place where you could prepare for the challenges ahead of you. He also wished for His Champion to be as strong as possible, so an Argonian form was selected for you to inhabit and the decision to become a vampire was not made by you alone."

"But He could have picked _any_ human from Earth. Why would He go for an Autistic person?"

"He did not. He simply wished for someone with many unique abilities, and you are the one who arrived on Nirn."

"And why am I so much darker than other Argonians?"

"That is because the door my Lord willed into existence might have attracted the curiosity of others, and He wished to be able to identify you accurately the moment you arrived. So you are dark. Is it _that_ displeasing to you?"

"Huh? Oh no, but the thing is, it makes it really hard to blend into a crowd."

"A minor issue that I am sure you are more than capable of resolving whenever necessary. Now, what is your decision?"

"What happens if I say no?"

"In that eventuality, Lord Sheogorath will wish for another Champion, and you will be returned to your own world as someone else takes your place."

"Then I'll do it. I don't want anyone else being ripped away from everything they know like I was."

"I am sure my Lord will thank you in person when you meet Him at His palace in New Sheoth. Farewell for now."

As Haskill faded from view, the walls and door of the room broke into numerous fluorescent butterflies that flew into the distance. Once the Breton had gone, Walks-in-Shadows cut up his coarse linen shirt with his Blade of Woe, and tied the pieces to the soles of his boots before equipping his Chameleon enchanted jewellery and shield, then he set off down the road to Passwall.

* * *

Over the next couple of months, Walks-in-Shadows did many things. After killing the Gatekeeper and retrieving the keys to Mania and Dementia from its body, he'd again met Haskill, who told him about the two gates. The vampiric Argonian then entered the Shivering Isles proper and made his way to the New Sheoth Palace, where he received the Charity of Madness, an enchanted necklace, from Sheogorath, then embarked on quest after quest for the Daedric Prince of Madness.

The first major thing Walks-in-Shadows did was to clear Xedilian of grummites and bring the trap back online before using it to drive insane a party of adventurers who had also discovered the island in the middle of Niben Bay. While killing them might have been a better option, the dark Argonian couldn't quite bring himself to do that. At least while they were alive, the three intruders had a chance of recovering and leaving the Isles, and while insane, they were more pleasing to Sheogorath. After receiving Duskfang, an enchanted blade that had belonged to the adventurers' leader, from Killiban Nyrandil, the caretaker of the place, Walks-in-Shadows helped the old but shrewd Dunmer fight off some Order Knights that subsequently invaded Xedilian. Then he picked up the Talisman of Abetment, an enchanted amulet, from a nearby chest before returning to New Sheoth to make his report to Sheogorath, who gave his Champion the ability to summon Haskill before immediately sending him back out to 'understand madness' by doing a favour for both the Duke of Mania, Thadon, and the Duchess of Dementia, Syl.

Once Walks-in-Shadows had uncovered the identity of the leader of a plot against Syl, he received Ruin's Edge, an enchanted bow, in return. After this, he risked ruining his health with Felldew addiction to obtain the Chalice of Reversal for Thadon, a feat for which he received nothing before again returning to Sheogorath. As the umbric Argonian stood in front of the Throne of Madness, he'd been informed that he would be stopping the Greymarch.

"After all," the Lord of the Never There said, "that's why I wished for ye. I need ye to become Me, a new Sheogorath. Or die trying."

As expected then.

The Prince of Madness sent Walks-in-Shadows to Cylarne to retrieve the Flame of Agnon and relight it in the Sacellum Arden-Sul. The young vampire did this by siding with the Aureals to fight the Mazken, using deception to achieve his goal as expediently as possible. On his way back to New Sheoth, being wreathed in flame as he was, he was unable to resist singing:

"Relight the fire  
Agnon is the Madgod's desire  
Relight the fire  
To stave off the Greymarch"

He then alternated between singing this simple chorus and laughing on his way back to Sheogorath to hear what he had to do next.

"The people need a strong leader. Ye must perform the Ritual of Accession."

After asking the Prince of Madness exactly how that was done, not quite able to believe what he'd read on the wikis, Walks-in-Shadows spoke to each of the two priests in the Sacellum, and then chose to perform the Ritual of Mania. He woke up at nearly midday, got the Greenmote, then slept again for over six hours before picking the lock to the Duke's Quarters in the Palace of Mania and sneaking inside to adulterate Thadon's food and wine with the drug. After that, it wasn't long until he had the Greenmote tainted blood he required, and he was soon pouring it into the bowl on the Altar Arden-Sul.

The moment this had been done, Syl burst into the Sacellum to announce that the Fringe, the area in which the door to Cyrodiil stood, was under attack and she was defecting to the Forces of Order. Then the Lord of the Never There sent Walks-in-Shadows to defend the Fringe against the Forces of Order. Once he'd helped the Aureals fight off two waves of Order Knights, the dark Argonian entered the ruins of Xeddefen to deactivate the Obelisk powering the spire that was spewing forth the soulless monstrosities. While exiting the ruin, he came across and escorted out a Redguard named Shelden, who claimed to be the mayor of Passwall, then it was again time to see Sheogorath to find out what he wanted next.

"Ye have to rebuild the Gatekeeper. He's essential, simply essential. Go see Relmyna Verenim in Xaselm aboot it, she'll tell ye what to do. Send her My love, that'll get her going."

Sighing, Walks-in-Shadows persuaded Haskill to mark the place on his map of the Shivering Isles, then set off for the other end of them yet again. As soon as he reached his destination, he wandered the numerous chambers and passageways until he came across the female Dunmer he had to talk to torturing prisoners. Disgusted by this, the young vampire stoically bore two rounds of torture himself, and Relmyna agreed to cease her 'experiments' in return. After this, he passed on Sheogorath's message, whereupon Relmyna was only too happy to offer her aid. Sheogorath's Champion then traversed the stone passageways and mossy root tunnels of the Gardens of Flesh and Bone in search of several esoteric items, then returned to Relmyna and assisted her with the ceremony to create the new Gatekeeper at the Gates of Madness in the Fringe before returning to Sheogorath for the umpteenth time.

While the Argonian vampire was at the palace, a Mazken arrived and informed the Madgod that Pinnacle Rock was under attack by Syl and the contingent of Order Knights she was leading. So Walks-in-Shadows had to go and help the Mazken defend their stronghold, and when he got back, Sheogorath transformed into Jyggalag before vanishing in a flash of light. Now Haskill was left to give the instructions.

Explaining that Throne of Madness could not remain empty if Order was to be defeated, the chamberlain had sent the umbric Argonian to Knifepoint Hollow to speak with Dyus of Mytheria, a human library who had been the Keeper of the Great Library before Sheogorath had first come into existence. It was Dyus who sent Walks-in-Shadows to seek the Eye of Ciirta and a branch from the Tree of Shades with which to recreate the missing Staff of Sheogorath, which had vanished along with the Prince of Madness. So the dark Argonian went to the Grove of Reflection within the Nexus of Milchar in order to fight a shadow version of himself and obtain the branch he required, then he travelled all the way to the Howling Halls, where he joined with a group of dissident Heretics in their plot to kill Ciirta so he could take one of her eyes once they'd done the deed. With both items now in his possession, Walks-in-Shadows took them to Dyus so he could fashion them into the Staff of Sheogorath. Of course, it wasn't as simple as all that. Nothing ever is.

"Once I have created the Staff of Sheogorath," the ancient Imperial said, "you must take it to the palace in New Sheoth. Tgen it will be complete, and you will have the power of the Madgod."

So the young vampire once again returned to New Sheoth Palace, where he was met by Haskill, who told him that the Forces of Order had poisoned the Pools of Mania and Dementia that fed the Font, meaning that Walks-in-Shadows would have to enter the Fountainhead beneath the Tree of Madness in order to cleanse them. After going around most of the pools in the Fountainhead and killing the Priests of Order that were poisoning them, the Chosen Champion killed Syl, who had become a Priest of Order herself, and took her enchanted warhammer, Nerveshatter.

Now the Pools of Mania and Dementia were finally cleansed, Walks-in-Shadows returned to the Throne Room of the palace and immersed the incomplete Staff of Sheogorath in the Font of Madness, gaining the power of the Madgod as he did so, then an Aureal ran up to him to inform him that Pelaurig Zudeh, Captain of the Palace Guard, needed him at once. He pointed out that she wasn't in any position to give him orders, simply because it amused him to bring a haughty Aureal down a peg or two, and she apologised before rephrasing her request in more humble words and tones. So he followed the messenger to the door, where Zudeh herself told him that an Obelisk of Order had activated in the palace grounds, and he went out to shut it down.

No sooner had the first obelisk been shut down than a second was activated, so the umbric Argonian shut that down just before Jyggalag strode into the palace grounds to conquer New Sheoth and the Shivering Isles. Walks-in-Shadows retreated to an area that someone of Jyggalag's height simply couldn't get to, and fired arrows and Fire spells from this safe location. He had to use many Welkynd stones, but after half an hour of not getting hurt at all by the Daedric Prince who was too unyielding to bend down so as to be able to attack more effectively, Jyggalag finally fell. As soon as this occurred, His aspect appeared in mid-air and explained that the other Daedric Princes had turned Him into Sheogorath because they feared His power, and He'd been further cursed to return to lucidity once every era in order to retake the Shivering Isles before once again sinking into madness to rule as Sheogorath for a millenium. Then He said the cycle was ended, His opponent held the Mantle of Madness, and the Daedric Prince of Order was free to roam the voids of Oblivion once more.

"Fare thee well, Sheogorath, Prince of Madness," had been Jyggalag's final words before He departed the Shivering Isles forever.

Then Sheogorath returned to the palace so Haskill could explain His responsibilities and entitlements to Him.

* * *

Once Haskill had told Him everything in great detail, Sheogorath announced that He would be going away for a while.

"But You have duties to attend to here, my Lord."

"Don't presume to order Me around, Haskill. I've been doing nothing but fighting for the past several weeks and I need a break, Besides, I promised someone I'd do something on Nirn for Her, and I need to keep that promise. Would you have Me break My sworn word?"

"Of course not, Lord Sheogorath. I offer my most humble apologies."

"Oh, that's okay. Anyway, I'm out of here now. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Having said His piece, the Lord of the Never There left the palace and went to Crucible, where He fed on Bhisha, a Khajiit who loved dogs, before going all the way back to the newly restored Fringe. Once He was beyond Passwall, He wasted no time in returning to Cyrodiil via the strange door He'd initially arrived through. When He saw that the sun was nearly up, the Madgod changed the weather so a thick fog hung low over the land and blanketed it, then He swam back to the Bay Roan Stables where He'd left Shadowmere so many weeks before. Sensing something different about her rider, the black mare snuffled at Him before allowing Him to mount. Then He rode her as hard as she could stand back to Cheydinhal and the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Relight the Fire'; Copyright © 2013 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for all purposes except large scale distribution, subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved.  
>  (Adapted from 'Relight My Fire'; Copyright © 1979 Dan Hartman. All rights reserved.)


	36. "I Ain't Walks-in-Shadows."

# Chapter Thirty-Five: "I ain't Walks-in-Shadows."

Sheogorath rode Shadowmere to Cheydinhal's East Gate, where He carefully hobbled her before going through and making straight for the well outside of the Abandoned House. As soon as He entered the Sanctuary, He went to Mathieu Bellamont's cell and fed as the traitor shot his load again, hastily ate and prepared for bed, then simply dropped under the covers before crashing into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

* * *

When He awoke twenty-nine hours later, Sheogorath went into the main area of the Sanctuary, where he saw that a meeting about Him was underway.

"He fed from Mathieu without first checking whether I already had or not," Vicente was saying. "Fortunately, I've been keeping to the once fortnightly rule, and this isn't my week to feed."

"Sorry, I was desperately hungry," the subject of the discussion said as He walked further into the room.

At this, Ocheecva sprang up with a cry of, "Walks-in-Shadows! What happened during your training?"

The vampiric Madgod shook His head as He replied, "I ain't Walks-in-Shadows."

"Of course you are, dear Brother. There's no other Argonian on Nirn with such colouration as you possess," Lucien stated.

"Nuh-uh. Like I said, I ain't Walks-in-Shadows. Not anymore."

"Well, who are you then, my Brother?" Gogron enquired.

"I'm Sheogorath."

The others just stared at Him in disbelief. He didn't look any different, and there was no way to become a Daedric Prince without any changes, was there?

Sheogorath finally broke the silence by declaring, "I can prove it."

Waving His hands in a complicated pattern as He silently incanted some words, the Lord of the Never There cast a spell, then waited for a moment until Haskill popped into view in front of Him.

"Tell these peeps who I am, Haskill."

"Peeps, my Lord?"

"Means people."

"At once, my Lord." Turning to the assembly, Haskill announced, "This is Lord Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness and Ruler of the Shivering Isles. I do hope a full rundown of my Lord's titles will not be necessary."

When nobody said that it was, the chamberlain departed back to Oblivion as the inhabitants of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary surrounded Sheogorath with even more questions than they'd had after His birth into Darkness, and the questioning only stopped when Vicente, noticing that He was extremely hungry, called a halt to it himself. The two vampires left to feed at a nearby house, then as they were walking back to the well, the Breton had something to say.

"So, Brother, it seems I am the sire of a god."

The moment He heard this, Sheogorath burst out laughing, and Vicente looked at Him, concerned and alarmed. Since he'd last heard it, his youngling's laughter had taken on a faintly manic tone.

* * *

The yellow-orange ball that was the sun was just sinking behind the walls of Cheydinhal when Sheogorath awoke. For the past week since the meeting about Him, He'd done little but feed, eat, read, and sleep, and He now felt rested enough to fulfil the Night Mother's wishes, so He prepared Himself to go out and left the living quarters. As He made His way to the well, He sang:

I wanna be Argonian and I wanna get stoned on  
Skooma and Moon Sugar  
I wanna be Argonian long enough to leave home on  
Skooma and Moon Sugar  
Skooma and Moon Sugar

Then, not noticing the stupefied stare of Mathieu Bellamont, the Prince of Madness gave His usual manic laugh as He climbed the ladder to leave the Sanctuary.

* * *

After riding for two hours, Sheogorath reached the Bay Roan Stables outside Bravil. Leaving Shadowmere in the paddock, He equipped His Chameleon enchanted items before entering the gate of the town, giving the guards on duty crazed grins that they couldn't see as he did so. Then He made His way to the Lucky Old Lady to find Ungolim, and was relieved to see the Listener was stood in front of the statue as He had hoped. Sneaking up behind Ungolim, the Madgod very carefully picked his pocket, then sneaked away again to feed at S'krivva's house before lying in wait until nearly dawn.

* * *

Once the faint first light of the new day was streaking the night sky with colour, Ungolim at last turned from the statue he'd stood in front of for several hours, and started walking to his house. Feeling in his pocket for the key, he cursed as he realised he must have lost it somewhere, then located the spare in its hiding place before letting himself in. As he started to climb the stairs, the Listener never saw the arrow that struck him, nor the blade that subsequently ended his life. He was, nevertheless, able to hear the wild laughter of his invisble assailant all too clearly as he left his body to join Sithis in the Void.

Now that His latest contract had been completed, Sheogorath left Ungolim's house and unequipped his Chameleon enchanted items before going to the statue from which the former Listener had got the Dark Brotherhood's contracts, and once there, He looked up at it and said, "I've done what You asked of Me, so now I'm going back to My realm."

He had just turned to leave again when a woman's voice came out of nowhere, saying, "Wait, please, Speaker. I require Your presence in Cyrodiil yet awhile. I am going to call a meeting of the Black Hand tonight, and You should attend with the rest. However, I leave the decision with You, Madgod."

Sheogorath turned back and said, "Fine, Night Mother, I'll be there. See You tonight."

Then He left to hire a bed for the day at the Lonely Suitor Lodge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'I Wanna Be Argonian'; Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy, share, and perform this work for non-commercial purposes. All other rights reserved. (Adapted from 'I Wanna Be a Hippie'; Copyright © 1995 Michael Wells and Lee Newman. All rights reserved.)


	37. A New Listener and the First Real Signs of Insanity

# Chapter Thirty-Six: A New Listener and the First Real Signs of Insanity.

After waking up that night, Sheogorath went to Dro'shanji's house to feed, then left again to attend the Night Mother's meeting. He approached the statue where the rest of the Black Hand awaited Him, having received the letters He'd sent out, and joined them as they entered the trapdoor that had again been revealed beneath it. Once inside the underground crypt, the Black Hand waited in silence for the ethereal woman who was approaching them to speak.

"I am aware that Ungolim is dead," the Night Mother stated. "I am the one who ordered his demise. The reason you are all here is to hear Me name his successor. Speaker Sheogorath, please step forward.

Sheogorath did as the Night Mother had asked Him.

"Madgod, I realise that You have Your own affairs to run, but You can easily summon Your chamberlain and give him orders to help him rule Your realm in Your stead. Is this not so?"

Sheogorath replied in the affirmative.

"Since that is the case, will You stay on Nirn and be My Listener, passing on My orders to the rest of the Black Hand and maintaining the ancient traditions to the best of Your ability?"

"I can try, I suppose. Sure, I'll do it."

"Then, Sheogorath, I name You Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. May You serve Me long and well. Now it is time for You to name the one who will act as Your deputy during the times that You are unable to function in Your duties."

There was no hesitation in the Lord of the Never There's voice as He said, "I name Vicente Valtieri as My deputy."

"I thought that You would choose him," the Night Mother said, a tone of amusement in Her voice at the Madgod's nepotism. "So be it, Vicente Valtieri shall be Your deputy. Now leave Me, all of you. I am again weary."

The Black Hand left the Night Mother's crypt, then once they were outside again, surrounded Sheogorath with questions about His ascension to godhood and why He should be Listener of the Dark Brotherhood just because He was a Daedric Prince when any of the Silencers alone had more experience. As He attempted to brush past them for the second time, J'Ghasta laid a hand on His shoulder, and instantly, the Madgod spun around with a wild grin on His face and sniffed at him before opening His mouth to plunge His fangs in the other's neck. Fortunately for the Khajiit, Lucien had seen all this and was able to read into the new Listener's intentions just in time, grabbing Him away as He kicked and fought.

"Leave quickly, J'Ghasta! Sheogorath likes Khajiiti blood!"

"But the tenets!"

"Which He hasn't been bound by since I named Him my Silencer, if you recall. He's also insane as a result of being the Madgod. You others, help me with Him!"

It took all eight of them, men, mer, Orc, and Argonian, to hold Sheogorath down, His struggles continuing even after J'Ghasta had finally left the area. Over an hour later, the Prince of Madness was still fighting with all a vampire's strength when His shrouded hood fell back, and Lucien decided to stroke His head in an effort to soothe and calm Him. As he began to caress the Listener's crest, the Imperial was surprised when He immediately stopped kicking and lashing His tail. However, he understood completely once Sheogorath started humming tunelessly, leaning into Lucien's hand with His eyes half-closed.

"It's all right, dear Brethren. You may release Him now," the Speaker said in a tired voice.

The other members of the Black Hand let go, relieved. They were also very tired as they weren't used to being up so late, and their struggle to restrain their new Listener had really taken it out of them.

Lucien spoke again. "Get some rest, dear Brethren. Sheogorath should be fine now."

"What if He attacks you, Brother?" Banus Alor asked.

"Once He comes out of His trance, dear Brother, He'll have calmed down completely," Lucien answered.

Shaleez backed him up, saying, "That's true, my Brother. It's an Argonian trait. Come on, I'm exhausted and need my sleep. If Speaker Lachance says that Sheogorath will be fine, then He will be."

The majority of the group left, leaving Lucien to gradually cease rubbing the Lord of the Never There's crest. The moment He'd emerged from His reverie, He sat up and sniffed the air.

"Oh, the ones with the delicious smell have gone," he said in a disappointed voice.

"That _is_ unfortunate, dear Brother," the Imperial agreed. "Would You like me to help You break in somewhere to feed instead?"

"Don't patronise Me, oui meddma credrayt! You're the one who stopped Me feeding in the first place," the Madgod said, tears starting to roll down His scaly cheeks.

At a loss for what else to do, Lucien gathered the Listener into his arms in an effort to comfort Him. That was why he never saw the tears stop flowing, nor the mad gleam that lit the scarlet eyes before he felt the sharp pain of fangs in his neck. The Speaker now had no option but to let Sheogorath complete his feeding. He wasn't strong enough on his own to restrain any vampire acting instinctively, let alone one with the strength that the Prince of Madness had had since His birth into Darkness, and Lucien's Silencer couldn't help him since, as a female Khajiit, she'd had to leave when J'Ghasta did.

"Do You feel better now, dear Brother?" Lucien asked once Sheogorath had finished His meal.

However, the Listener was still temporarily lost in insanity and didn't answer, simply standing up and stalking past a group of shocked guards that had come running at the commotion earlier, staying their hands as they recognised the robes of the Black Hand. One of them, who was a worshipper of Sheogorath, had recognised his god in spite of His changed form, and had spread the word around. Since then, the guards had just stood there, wondering that one Daedric Prince would serve another, so had observed Sheogorath feeding from the Speaker as he had knelt there, forced to allow it. It was this open evidence of His vampirism that had so stunned the onlookers.

Lucien, now feeling quite weak and dizzy from the loss of a pint of blood, nevertheless got up and started to follow the Listener, then stopped when he got to the guards standing around.

"First of all," the Imperial said, "you remember nothing of what may have witnessed here tonight. Second, shouldn't you get back to your duties before you're charged with dereliction of them?"

Saying that there was nothing to forget because there'd been nothing to see, the guards hastily resumed their posts and patrols. Feeling satisfied, Lucien carried on following the Lord of the Never There to the Lonely Suitor Lodge, entering it just in time to see Him going upstairs despite the protests of Bogrum gro-Galash.

Taking twenty Septims from the pouch on his belt, Lucien dropped the coins onto the bar in front of the Orcish innkeeper.

"The room he had yesterday," he said, indicating the retreating form of Sheogorath, "and one for myself, also."

Then he followed the Listener up the stairs and into His room.

The Madgod was sat on the bed, singing 'Glorious Blood', and as soon as He finished, He let off a spate of manic cackles. Once His hilarity ceased, however, He came back to Himself again. The Speaker felt a massive burst of relief as he noticed this.

"Are you all right now, Listener?" he asked.

"There's nothing wrong with Me," Sheogorath answered, "except that I should be hungry right about now, and I'm not. What's up with My appetite, Lucien?"

"Never mind, You've gone through some changes, and Your appetite being affected is one possible result of them. I'm sure it'll come back later.Would You like a sandwich for now?"

"Yeah, please. I'm really tired."

So was Lucien, if the truth be told. However, the new Listener obviously wasn't well enough to realise what He'd done, so the Imperial decided to simply act as if nothing had occurred. He went down to the bar and bought some meat, tomatoes, and two bread rolls, then went back to Sheogorath's room to make a sandwich for each of them. Then, once the Prince of Madness was sleeping peacefully, Lucien left the room, using a spell to lock it securely before going to his own, making sure to take the Madgod's lockpicks and room key when he did.


	38. Immortality and Farewell to Mundus

# Chapter Thirty-Seven: Immortality and Farewell to Mundus.

One night, a couple of months after becoming Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Sheogorath woke up and stretched, a mad smile playing about His eyes. He had restored the Brotherhood's ancient traditions, exactly as the Night Mother had asked of Him, and had also passed on many orders, contracts, and messages as part of His usual duties. The other members weren't happy that they had an insane leader, but felt unable to go against the Night Mother's wishes. In fact, Vicente Valtieri had been so unhappy about the situation that he'd killed his youngling, and had then been extremely surprised to find himself sharing Mathieu Bellamont's cell a few days later, the Lord of the Never There having just locked him inside.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Sheogorath had said. "It pisses Me off to waste time roaming the voids of Oblivion when I've got stuff to do here on Nirn."

As the elder vampire had looked at the Madgod through the bars of the cell, he'd realised with some astonishment that His once scarlet eyes had taken on a golden hue, making His vertical pupils appear even darker. It was then he'd realised that his youngling had all a god's power, explaining His apparent immortality. After seeing this, Vicente had apologised at once, but had still spent a long fortnight in the cell, being slowly driven mad by the close proximity of blood he couldn't feed on as much as he needed to if he didn't want to kill the source of it.

* * *

After recalling His time in Oblivion during the period that He was dead, Sheogorath had a sudden thought. If He was the Daedric Prince of Madness, then He should have the same powers as His predecessor, shouldn't He? That much had been proven by His return to the physical realm, so if the He before Him had wished Him here, then He should be able to wish Himself back on Earth again. Triumphantly, He started singing:  


"It's been a long road, getting from there to here  
It's been a long time, but My time is finally near  
And I will see My dream come alive at last  
I will touch the sky!  
And they're not gonna hold Me down no more  
No, they're not gonna change My mind  
'Cos I've got faith of the heart  
I'm goin' where My heart will take me  
I have faith to believe I can do anything  
I've got strength of the soul  
And no one's going to bend or break Me  
I can reach any star, I've got faith  
I've got, I've got, I've got  
I've got faith  
Faith of the heart  
Ooh... ooh..."

When the Lord of the Never There had finished His song, He summoned Haskill in order to consult with him.

"Is there something You require, my Lord?"

"Haskill, yeah. I already found out I'm immortal. Does that mean I've got all My predecessor's other powers, like being able to wish stuff into existence?"

"Yes, unfortunately, You have, my Lord."

"So I should be able to wish Myself back home and in My own body again?"

"Indeed, my Lord, but there is something that You ought to know."

"Later, Haskill. You've told Me all I need to know for now."

"Nevertheless, my Lord-"

"I said later!"

"Understood, my Lord," Haskill replied, fading from view.

Once His chamberlain had returned to the Shivering Isles, Sheogorath hurriedly dressed in His shrouded armour and hood, then left the living quarters to gather the other inhabitants of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary so He could make an announcement to them.

"I've found a way to get back to My homeworld, so I'll be going as soon as I've answered any questions I can and done all I need to. Vicente, apologise to the Night Mother on My behalf, will you? Lucien, tell Shadowmere where I've gone. You may think she won't understand, but that horse has a lot more intelligence than I've seen some humans display."

He waited for several moments, but nobody asked anything, so He got the parts of His story as yet unknown to Him from the others, then gave them all a hug each, receiving and returning a kiss from both Vicente and Ocheeva as he did so.

Then He said, "Right, I'm off now. I hope," before squeezing His eyes tightly shut and making His wish, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Where My Heart Will Take Me'; Copyright © 1998 Diane Warren. All rights reserved.


	39. The Prodigal Returns

# Epilogue: The Prodigal Returns.

Waking up with a yawn, Tidus Foster stretched before sitting on the edge of his bed. His real name was actually Daniel, Danny for short, but because he'd spent two years playing nothing but Final Fantasy X after receiving it as a tenth birthday present, his mother had soon started calling him Tidus after the main character. This nickname had quickly spread around everyone who knew him, and the teenager could now only vaguely remember ever having been called anything else.

As Tidus sat in his room, mulling over the dream he'd just had, he shook his head at the utter strangeness of it. Why would he dream that he was a male Argonian called Walks-in-Shadows in the Dark Brotherhood when the main character in his Oblivion game was always a female Bosmer named Aranwen Greenwood who'd never joined the guild of assassins? After Tidus had read everything he could find about the Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild on the Internet, he'd decided not to join either of them because he didn't want his character to gain infamy, no matter _how_ easy it was to clear up. And how had he dreamed in so much detail about becoming Sheogorath? He'd never been able to do that on _his_ copy of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and his mum couldn't afford to buy him the Game of the Year Edition, so he'd only learnt a little about it from the wikis. Thoroughly puzzled by all this, the teenager stood up and left his room, noticing that the sun streaming through the thin curtains was hurting his eyes a lot more than usual as he did so.

It was as Tidus entered the bathroom that he caught sight of his reflection, and with a shocked cry of, "Noooooo!" he rushed over to take a closer look. Once he'd examined himself more closely, Tidus' eyes rolled up in his head and his knees buckled under him, causing him to hit his head on the sink on his way down to the floor.

Angela Foster woke up with a start, then smiled as she relaxed again. What she'd just heard was probably her son, Tidus, up early and already getting frustrated by a character's death or something on one of his games. Then a louder sound brought her to full alertness. Grabbing her mobile phone in case an ambulance was required, Angela ran to the bathroom where the noise had come from, but as she got to the wide-open door, she stopped short and screamed before slamming it closed. Then she ran to Tidus' room to check on him and felt her heart almost stop as she realised that he wasn't there. Almost without stopping to think, she rapidly punched 999 and asked for the police.

Once she had reported her seventeen-year-old Autistic son missing, Angela then made a call to the R.S.P.C.A. to get them to do something about the large, humanoid-like monitor lizard that was lying unconscious on her bathroom floor.

**Author's Note:**

> Copyright © 2011 Romersa's Protégé. Individuals and groups are free to copy and share this work for all purposes except large scale distribution, subject to credit being given and any derivatives being released under the same or a similar licence. All other rights reserved. Published with permission from Bethesda Softworks.


End file.
